Tamil Nadu: New Justice Party's AC Shanmugam files nomination as NDA candidate from Vellore

Vellore (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 25 : New Justice Party president AC Shanmugam filed a nomination as a candidate of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from the Vellore Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu on Monday.
Shanmugam submitted his nomination papers to the District Returning Officer, Subbulakshmi.
The NJP chief reached the District Collector's office in the Sathuvachari area of Vellore accompanied by cadres of the NDA and his party supporters.
Confident in the NDA's victory in the state, Shanmugam said that lotus will bloom in Vellore and other constituencies.
Aiming to strengthen its presence in Tamil Nadu, the BJP earlier this month announced a seat-sharing agreement with the NJP, Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (AMMK) and Ambumani Ramadoss-led Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
As per the pact, AMMK was allotted two seats, while NJP and PMK were given one each.
Earlier in the day, PMK leader Sowmiya Ramadoss, wife of party chief Anbumani Ramadoss, filed her nomination as the NDA's Dharmapuri candidate at the Dharmapuri District Collectorate.
Voting for all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu will be held in the first phase of the general elections on April 19.
In the 2019 general elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, comprising the Congress, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, MMK, KMDK, TVK, and AIFB registered a landslide victory, winning 38 of the 39 seats in the state.
In 2019, DMK won 23 Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress bagged 8 and the CPI 2.