“If elected, I will strive for improving water resources, infrastructure, and employment,”said would AIADMK candidate for Madurai parliamentary constituency V.V.R. Raj Sathyan.

Addressing an election campaign at the Tiruvalluvar statue junction near Collectorate soon after filing his nomination on Monday, he said though other candidates made several promises, he would deliver his promises. Madurai’s infrastructure would be developed by tapping the corporate social responsibility initiative funds of business houses. Employment and skill training would be ensured for every family in the constituency, he said.

No coalition leaders

Earlier, Mr. Sathyan filed his nomination papers with Madurai Collector and Returning Officer S. Natarajan.

While DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance candidate Su. Venkatesan of Communist Party of India (Marxist) filed his papers accompanied by local leaders of coalition parties, for Mr. Sathyan only his party functionaries were present. Leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party, Desiya Murpokku Dravidar Kazhagam and other coalition parties of the AIADMK were conspicuously absent.

With four persons allowed to accompany the candidate during the submission of nominations, Mr. Sathyan was accompanied by Cooperation Minister ‘Sellur’ K. Raju, Madurai South MLA S.S. Saravanan, Melur MLA Periyapullan alias P. Selvam, and former MLA of Madurai East constituency K. Tamilarasan.

However, cadre of the coalition parties accompanied the candidate when he came in a procession along Panagal Road to file the papers.