Chennai: An eight-month-pregnant M R Pallavi, 36, and J Kamatchi, 44, who contested as TVK’s candidates in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar and Pallavaram respectively, are the only two women who emerged victorious in the city. Both are first-time contestants, and they won by huge margins of 22,333 and 54,693, respectively.A total of 53 women candidates represented the electorate, of whom 20 were Independent candidates. Of the 33 women candidates from recognised political parties, DMK fielded two, AIADMK three, TVK two, and BJP one. NTK had fielded 12.TVK members said Pallavi’s persistence during campaign struck a chord with voters. Despite being in the final stages of pregnancy, she continued door-to-door outreach in peak summer. “I will start working from today. My constituency is backward and requires a lot of work. I see it as an opportunity given by God to serve people,” she said.TVK youth wing secretary J Karthick, who worked with her, said, “This is a deserved win for Akka (elder sister). She struggled to walk and fainted from dehydration once. When we went to ask for votes, many residents offered juice and advised her to stay at home. But her determination has earned her this win,” he said.Among women candidates who lost in the city were veterans such as former Telangana and Puducherry governor Tamilisai Soundararajan from BJP, and former ministers Gokula Indira and B Valarmathi from AIADMK. New candidates, such as A P Poornima and R S Kiruthika Devi, both doctors, from DMK, and Porkodi Armstrong, lawyer and wife of slain BSP leader Armstrong, lost.Tamilisai congratulated the winners and said this election can be considered as both a ‘Vijay wave’ as well as a DMK anti-incumbency wave. “This setback will not affect my public service and voicing concerns. I accept people’s decision,” she said.
