Jallikattu activist D. Rajesh fielded as the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate for the Tiruchi Lok Sabha Lok Sabha constituency caught the eye while proceeding to file his nomination papers on Monday.
As a strong supporter of the traditional sport, Mr. Rajesh thought it fit to take out a procession with decorated jallikattu bulls on the day of filing of his papers. He along with a group of party members with three bulls assembled near the jallikattu statue close to the Uzhavar Sandhai ground in the morning. After garlanding the statue of the jallikattu bull, Mr. Rajesh and his party members took out a procession up to the Collectorate.
Mr. Rajesh herded a bull while two of his party men marched with the other two animals towards the District Collectorate. While nearing the Vestry roundabout, they were stopped with their bulls, said police sources. Thereafter, a few NTK party members accompanied Mr. Rajesh to the Collectorate where he submitted his papers to the District Collector and the Returning Officer for the Tiruchi Lok Sabha constituency M. Pradeep Kumar.
Mr. Rajesh was among the petitioners who moved the Supreme Court seeking permission to allow jallikattu in Tamil Nadu a few years ago.
Mr. Rajesh told presspersons after filing his papers that he hoped that his party would be allotted a new symbol tomorrow. However, Mr. Rajesh said his party leader Seeman was their symbol.
Mr. Rajesh said AIADMK candidate P. Karuppaiah and MDMK candidate Durai Vaiko were “outsiders” to the constituency. As a resident of Tiruchi, Mr. Rajesh said he would be accessible and, if elected, would take steps to shift the Ariyamangalam garbage dump yard and desilt the Uyyakondan channel which was facing severe pollution.
Establishing a cashew processing unit at Gandharvakottai in Pudukottai district to help generate employment for the locals and setting up of a scent unit using flowers at Somarasampet near Tiruchi to provide employment to women were his other assurances.
