It’s a fight among women in Vilavancode by-election

Since 1971, Congress had won the Assembly segment seven times and CPI(M) five times. Former MLA Ms. Vijayadharani won here continuously for three elections – 2011, 2016 and 2021

V.S. Nandhini

C. Tharahai Cuthbert

U. Rani

R. Jemini

Vilavancode Assembly segment by-election which is to be conducted along with the Lok Sabha elections on April 19 is to witness a fight among four women candidates from major parties.

The by-election for the segment which has 2,37,382 voters — 1,17,694 men, 1,19,685 women and 3 others — was announced after the defection of Congress MLA S. Vijayadharani to the BJP. Ms. Vijayadharani who expected the ticket for the seat from the BJP faced disappointment after the party fielded V.S. Nandhini, party functionaries say.

While the Congress has fielded C. Tharahai Cuthbert from Roman Catholic fishermen community, AIADMK has fielded a woman candidate, U. Rani from Nadar community. Naam Tamilar Katchi too has announced a woman candidate, R. Jemini, wife of Xavier Kumar, a party functionary, who was allegedly killed on a church premises in Kanniyakumari.

Since 1971, the Congress had won the Assembly segment seven times and the CPI(M) five times. Former MLA Ms. Vijayadharani won from the segment continuously for three elections – 2011, 2016 and 2021.

M. Sundardas (1984, 1989 and 1991) of the Congress and D. Mani (1980, 1996 and 2001) of the CPI(M) had won here thrice each.

Since the Assembly segment is in close proximity with Kerala, the region has a significant Malayali population, which is one of the reasons for the predominant victory of a Congress or a CPI(M) candidate here, the local people say.

While Congress candidate Cuthbert has been welcomed as a suitable choice owing to her Christian fishermen community identity, there is a disappointment among a section of the party functionaries that an outsider has been selected.

But Kanniyakumari Congress functionaries say they had no other option as the fisherfolk in Vilavancode were disappointed over the party not giving them a chance to contest either in the Assembly or the Parliamentary election despite their continuing support to it.

“By fielding Ms. Cuthbert, the party has regained their support. She may be a new face to the segment, but she had served as the party’s Kanniyakumari west district president for a brief period and held other posts, including in Congress women’s wing,” they add.

Though Ms. Vijayadharani was said to be discontented with the party’s decision not to field her, she is seen actively campaigning for Pon. Radhakrishnan and Ms. Nandhini.

M. Joseph, a resident of the Assembly segment, says rather than the candidates’ identity, the party has always mattered for the people here. “It was either the Congress and the CPI(M) which had always won here. This time, maybe, owing to the familiarity of Ms. Vijayadharani in the region, a considerable section of people can opt for the BJP candidate,” he adds.

The AIADMK and the NTK candidates are also new to the region, due to which they may not attract many votes, Mr. Joseph says.