There was an unusual request from actor Sarathkumar, who heads the All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK), to the Election Commission of India – extend the date for filing of nomination. And the reason he cited is the ongoing strike by employees of public sector banks.
In a statement, Sarathkumar, whose party is contesting in 37 Assembly constituencies as part of the alliance led by Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) of actor Kamal Haasan, said the last date for filing of nomination papers to contest the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections should be extended.
He said candidates are struggling to open new bank accounts due to the strike, and hence the ECI should look into the issue. “The ECI gave six days for filing nomination and only four days are left to complete the process. Candidates are finding it difficult to open new bank accounts due to the strike by employees. The employees' demands are genuine,” Sarathkumar said.
The actor-politician said it was imperative for the ECI to ensure a level playing field for all candidates to enable people from all walks of life to participate in the democratic exercise. “The ECI and Tamil Nadu CEO should keep this in mind and extend the date for filing of nominations,” Sarathkumar said. The last date for filing for nomination is March 19.
AISMK, which lost the only seat it contested in 2016 elections in an alliance with the AIADMK, was allotted 40 seats this time by MNM. However, Sarathkumar returned three seats to MNM on Monday and will now contest in only 37 seats.
The MNM's allotting of 40 constituencies each to the AISMK and the Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi led to criticism and trolling on social media.
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