Independent pays deposit in Re 1 coins

Shivamogga: Officials at Shivamogga’s deputy commissioner’s office on Wednesday were taken aback when an independent candidate paid the entire election deposit of Rs 12,500 in Re 1 coins. KC Vinay, founder of Vidyarthi, a students’ organization, brought the coins in a plastic bag and handed it over to deputy commissioner KA Dayananda — the returning officer — along with his nomination papers.
“We took about an hour to count the coins,” said Dayananda. “We had to use staff from the endowment department who are experts in counting coins.”

Vinay, who plays the lead role in Kranthikari, a Kannada movie, had contested the assembly elections against BJP state president, BS Yeddyurappa in Shikaripura constituency and secured 495 votes.

He said the total weight of the coins was between 40kg to 50kg. "My supporters and I had collected these coins from people across the Lok Sabha constituency," Vinay said. He said his father serves in the police department and his mother is a homemaker.

In the affidavit submitted with his nomination papers, Vinay showed nil income for the last two years, but he is confident of victory. “I have an open invitation from all political parties (to join),” he said. “My student organisation is active in 23 districts besides in neighbouring Telangana, Andha and Maharastra. I will win.”