V. Kasturi Vasu who has been elected from Valparai constituency in Coimbatore district is the lone woman MLA from the 29 Assembly segments in the four districts in Coimbatore region comprising Tirupur, Erode, Coimbatore and The Nilgiris.
“I am elated to know that I am the only woman MLA from the region. It would not have been possible if ‘Amma’ had not given me the opportunity,” she said.
Earlier, P. Lakshmi representing the Jayalalithaa faction of the AIADMK had won the Valparai seat and was MLA from 1989 to 1991 and was the only other woman to be elected as an MLA from the 50-year-old segment.
She gets advice and guidance from men comprising senior ministers and those who have been MLAs more than once. “The senior MLAs and ministers congratulated me and have made me feel at home,” she said. Ms. Vasu added that more women will be getting a chance to become elected representatives in the local body elections as announced by their party supremo.
“Focus will be on fulfilling her election assurances for the constituency. Priority is to talk to the Chief Minister and get the wage hike for tea estate workers. I will also expedite tourism development works such as establishing a botanical garden and the boat house, for which the government had already taken efforts,” she said.
The Anamalai Panchayat Union Chairperson was among the three women contestants representing leading political parties who contested in the 10 Assembly segments in this district. The unsuccessful candidates were Coimbatore Corporation councillor Meena Logu from the DMK and BJP state secretary Vanathi Srinivasan.
