Muhurtam? Get out! Gujarat Chief Minister and Padmaja given marching orders by officer in Thrissur

THRISSUR: The returning officer of Thrissur gave a ‘get-out’ to NDA candidate Padmaja Venugopal and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who rushed to the room to file nominations in a bid not to miss the Muhurtham. The incident took place at the Thrissur RDO office on Saturday morning.

UDF candidate Rajan Pallan was the first to be allowed to file his nomination papers. Rajan reached the office at 10.30 and left at 11.10. Later, it was the turn of the LDF candidate. Alankode Leelakrishnan and V.S. Sunilkumar, among others, reached the returning officer's office.

Meanwhile, NDA candidate Padmaja and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and others arrived with a large entourage. Padmaja and others rushed into the office through another door, saying that they might miss the auspicious time. They demanded that time be allowed for them between 11.30 and 12.15 and that the papers be accepted.

However, former minister VS Sunil Kumar objected, saying that the papers of those who came first should be accepted and highlighted that rules are important, not the auspicious time. Then, RDO Vinod Raj, who is also the Warrant Officer, asked Padmaja, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and others to leave.

Alankode Leelakrishnan left the office at 11.50 after submitting his nomination. Padmaja, who then went to submit her nomination, missed the muhurtham. The nomination was accepted after checking the signatures.