CHENGALPATTU: Members of the public gathered at the Chengalpattu Collectorate were dumbstruck with astonishment on Monday when an independent candidate Avadi Jayakumar arrived with a basin full of Rs 10 coins amounting to Rs 25,000 to file his nomination.

The candidate caused a flutter when he walked into the Collectorate gates carrying the basin with coins on his head. When the guards stopped him, he informed them that he had brought his nomination fee as coins but as he approached the Collector’s chamber he ended up dropping the basin on the floor.

Jayakumar and his associates spent the next few minutes collecting the strewn coins and when it was time to file nomination they were short of Rs 2,270 which he paid in cash later. Speaking to the reporters he said, “My promise to the people is to halt the Parandur airport project and save the agriculture land and 13 lakes that are under threat of exploitation.” Similarly several other candidates including DMK bigwig TR Balu who is contesting in Sriperumbudur filed their nominations with district collector Arun Raj.