Actor-turned-politician and Makal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan on Monday said that his party will start accepting online applications from members who wish to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in May, The Hindu reported.
The applications will open on February 21. Potential candidates will have to visit the party’s website www.maiam.com and pay a non-refundable sum of Rs 25,000 to apply for one constituency. Non-members can also apply to contest the elections.
The potential candidates can also apply for multiple constituencies. Haasan said that people who do not have access to the internet can visit the party’s headquarters to file their applications.
The Makal Needhi Maiam chief added that the non-refundable fee charged from potential candidates will be used to cover the party’s expenses. “This amount will be your contribution towards honest politics,” he was quoted as saying by The Hindu.
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam also announced the beginning of the application process, PTI reported. Those aspiring to contest elections on an AIADMK ticket will have have to collect their application forms from the party’s headquarters in Chennai between February 24 and March 5. They will be required to pay Rs 15,000 to apply for a constituency Tamil Nadu and Rs 5,000 for Puducherry.
DMK General Secretary Durai Murugan announced that ticket aspirants can submit their forms to the party between February 17 and 24. The fee for a general constituency is ₹25,000. For women and reserved segments, it is Rs 15,000.
The ruling AIADMK will contest the elections in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party. However in December, the AIADMK rejected any possibility of a power-sharing agreement with its ally and clearly said that Edappadi Palaniswami will be its candidate for the chief minister’s post.
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