Mixed bag of fortune for star women candidates

It was a mixed bag of fortune for the women candidates who entered the poll arena in Tamil Nadu as the results came in on Sunday. While BJP’s star campaigner Khushbu lost Thousand Lights constituency, DMK’s P Geetha Jeevan, also a former minister, successfully retained her Thoothukudi seat.

Geeta Jeevan defeated AIADMK’s SDR Vijayaseelam by 21,856 votes. Similarly, AIADMK’s A Tamilarasi, a former minister, won Manamadurai by around 4,000 seats. In Madurantakam, ex-MP Maragatham K of AIADMK was leading by a small margin when the results last came in.

Of the losses, BJP’s Khushbu Sundar lost to DMK’s Ezhilan with a margin of around 30,000 votes in the Thousand Lights. At the time of publication, DMK candidate Poongothai Aladi Aruna, former Information Technology Minister (2006-2011) was trailing in Alangulam constituency.

Current Minister for Social Welfare and Nutritious Noon Meal Programme V Saroja lost to DMK’s Mathiventhan M in Rasipuram. Former Minister for Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare under the AIADMK government in 2016, VM Rajalakshmi was trailing in her home base of Sankarankovil from where she is seeking re-election. Former Minister of Handlooms and Textiles in 2014 AIADMK cabinet, S Gokula Indira, hoped to win back the Anna Nagar seat from DMK candidate MK Mohan but lost by a margin of around 9,000 votes.

Of all the parties, Naam Tamilar Katchi had fielded 117 women candidates, while AIADMK had only 14 and DMK 12. In total, there were 411 women candidates this year, which amounts to around 10 per cent of the total candidates. In 2016, 20 seats were bagged by women, of which 14 were from AIADMK, four from the DMK, and one from the INC.