In an unusual show of grassroots campaigning, a 26-year-old independent candidate, Mohan Raj, filed his nomination for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections by depositing his Rs 10,000 security fee entirely in coins.
Contesting from the Jolarpet Assembly constituency in Tirupattur district, Mohan Raj submitted his papers on April 2 at the Natrampalli Taluk Office, reported ANI.
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He arrived carrying the coins neatly arranged in a basket, accompanied by supporters—an act that quickly drew the attention of election officials and onlookers.
The candidate, son of Ramamoorthy from Sunnambukuttai near Natrampalli, used the unconventional method to stand out in a crowded electoral field and signal his connect with grassroots voters.
#WATCH | Tirupattur, Tamil Nadu: Ahead of the 2026 Legislative Assembly General Elections, an independent candidate, Mohan Raj, from the Jolarpet Assembly constituency, filed nomination in a unique way by giving Rs 10 thousand, entirely in coins as the security deposit. pic.twitter.com/Ciib1aRp03
— ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2026
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Such symbolic gestures are not new in Tamil Nadu's political landscape, where independent candidates have often adopted creative tactics during nominations to generate buzz and highlight their campaigns.
With this move, Mohan Raj has managed to put the spotlight on his candidacy even before campaigning gathers pace.
Meanwhile, a ground survey by independent research group, Lok Poll, projects a comfortable victory for the DMK-led alliance in the upcoming Elections
According to PTI, the survey, released on Wednesday, claimed to have utilised stratified random sampling across a sample size of 1,17,000 respondents (approximately 500 per constituency). It predicts the DMK-led alliance will secure between 181–189 seats with a dominant 40.1 per cent vote share.
The ADMK-led alliance is projected to bag 38–42 seats with a 29 per cent vote share, while actor Vijay's TVK is expected to make its debut with 8–10 seats and a significant 23.9 per cent vote share. The NTK is projected at 4.9 per cent without securing any seats.
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