Nominations filed for Tamil Nadu bypoll

Chennai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate K. Nagarajan, actor Vishal Krishna and J. Deepa filed their nomination papers here on Monday for the December 21 by-election to the Radhakrishnan Nagar assembly constituency.

Nagarajan had filed his papers in the morning without much hassle as he belonged to a recognised national party.

On the other hand, high profile independent candidates Vishal Krishna (popularly known as Vishal) and Deepa -- the niece of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa -- had to wait for their turn as there were large number in independent candidates turning up to file their papers.

Independent candidates were given token numbers so they could file their papers as per the serial order.

As per the Election Commission website, at the last count 70 nominations had been filed including three female independent candidates.

Vishal denied that somebody in backing him to contest the by-election.

AIADMK leader and party candidate E. Madhusudhanan told reporters that sidelined party leader T.T.V. Dinakaran -- contesting the bypoll as an independent -- is behind Vishal`s candidature.

Vishal said: "I am not a politician. Since 1947 people are asking for basic amenities. I am standing in the election on behalf of the people to know why things do not happen."

The nominations will be scrutinised on Tuesday and the last date for the withdrawal of the candidature is 7 December.

The Radhakrishnan Nagar seat fell vacant following the death of then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016.