As expected, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has fielded a woman for the Srirangam by-election, scheduled for February 13.
AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa, in a statement on Friday, announced that S. Valarmathi, joint secretary, Tiruchi urban district unit of the party and councillor of the Tiruchi Corporation, will be the party candidate.
The seat fell vacant after the conviction of Ms. Jayalalithaa in a disproportionate assets case last September.
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Ms. Jayalalithaa also announced the campaign team comprising a list of 50 top party men, including almost all ministers, excluding Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, for election work. The team will be headed by party presidium chairman E. Madhusudhanan.
A surprise
The nomination of Ms. Valarmathi, a newcomer to big time electoral politics, has come as a surprise to party men.
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Speculations were rife here that a party senior would be fielded for the high profile seat.
Ms. Valarmathi, who joined the party in 1983, represents Ward 58 in the Corporation Council and is also the chairperson of the Corporation’s Standing Committee on Town Planning.
Like her party colleagues, Ms. Valarmathi feels that “Amma’s achievements” and the extensive development brought by the former Chief Minister to the constituency will see her through easily.
“People will vote for Amma and her achievements. I am grateful to Amma for giving me this opportunity,” she told The Hindu .
The 49-year-old advocate belongs to the Mutharaiyar community, dominant in the constituency.
In 2011, Ms. Jayalalithaa defeated N. Anand of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam by a margin of 41,848 votes. However, district office-bearers are keen to ensure a much bigger margin this time around.