Press "Enter" to skip to content

TN bye-polls: Congress’ R Manoharan is richest candidate in Nanguneri

With bye-polls to the Nanguneri and Vikravandi assembly constituencies on the anvil in the state, the affidavits filed by political party candidates has revealed that the Congress candidate from Nanguneri, R Manoharan is richest among his competitors.

According to R Manoharan’s affidavit, he and his spouse have combined assets worth Rs 91.3 crore, including movable and immovable assets. The total income he filed tax for last in 2017- 2018 was worth Rs 57, 26, 420. As directors of Ruby Manoharan Property Developers Private Limited and Ruby Sportz India Private Ltd, the candidate and his wife have shares in both companies. They also have capital in Ruby Builders and Promoters worth Rs 2, 30, 00, 000 each. Manoharan has one case filed against him at the Selaiyur police station for protesting against BJP leader H Raja.

Meanwhile, his opponent, V Narayanan from the AIADMK, along with his wife and two daughters has assets worth over Rs 3 crore. He and his wife together own a number of vehicles including two scooters, one motorbike, an Innova car and a mini truck. Along with his family, the candidate owes housing, vehicle and jewel loans to banks and finance companies worth Rs 1.21 crore.

In Vikravandi, DMK’s N Pugazhendi along with his wife has movable and immovable assets worth over Rs 57 lakh. The couple also owes over Rs 26 lakh in loans for their agricultural land and car. The candidate last filed income tax for the year 2015- 2016 for a total of Rs 3, 11, 400. Pugazhendi has one case against him for unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation, murder and criminal conspiracy from 2015 at the Villupuram Taluk police station. His opponent, Muthamizhselvan of the AIADMK, along with his son and son-in-law, has over Rs 74 lakh in total assets. Both family members have also taken out jewel loans worth Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively. 

On September 21, the Election Commission announced bye-polls to the two assembly seats. The bye-poll to the Nanguneri seat in Tirunelveli district was necessitated by sitting MLA, H Vasanthakumar of the Congress resigning earlier this year. He was elected MP from the Kanyakumari constituency in the Lok Sabha polls. The Vikravandi seat in Villupuram district fell vacant following the death of DMK MLA K Rathamani in June this year. September 30 concluded the last date for filing nominations while the nominations were scrutinised on Tuesday by the EC. 

The DMK-Congress alliance is fielding DMK’s Villupuram treasurer N Pugazhendhi from Vikravandi and Congress’s R Manohar from Nanguneri. Meanwhile, the AIADMK is fielding MR Muthamizhselvan from Vikravandi and V Narayanan from Nanguneri. 

While Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi is contesting the polls from both seats, Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam and TTV Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam have opted out.

Results for both bye-polls will be announced on Thursday, October 24.

Source: The News Minute