The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Support from women helps AIADMK retain Kancheepuram seat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Support from women helps AIADMK retain Kancheepuram seat

V. Venkatasubramanian

Favourable swing in Vanniyar belt contributes to win

Party scores high in all-women booths
Bags more than 10,000 of the 18,932 votes polled in these booths

Win reflects faith in Chief Minister: Mythili

Mythili Thirunavukarasu

KANCHEEPURAM: Support from women and a swing in Vanniyar-dominated areas seem to have helped the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam retain the Kancheepuram seat with a convincing margin of 17,648 votes over the Democratic Progressive Alliance candidate.

The AIADMK scored over the DPA in 30 booths out of the 34 booths earmarked exclusively for women voters in the constituency by securing more than 50 per cent of the votes polled in each of these booths. A total of 18,932 women voters were attached to these 34 booths and out of this, the AIADMK bagged 10,798 votes (57.03 per cent) against 6,989 (36.9 per cent) of the DPA.

A notable factor was that the AIADMK was able to make its presence felt in the all-women booths at Vanniyar-dominated Musarawalkam, Perumbakkam and Kavanthandalam. AIADMK candidate Mythili secured 410 votes out of 668 votes polled in Musarawalkam, 350 out of 658 in Perumbakkam and 330 out of 621 in Kavanthandalam. On the other hand, the DPA nominee, P.M. Kumar bagged 197 in Musarawalkam, 247 in Perumbakkam and 226 in Kavanthandalam.

The performance of the AIADMK in the general category booths at other Vanniyar dominated areas was also impressive. The ruling party secured 1661 votes (including 410 votes polled in all-women booths) out of 3150 votes polled in four booths at Musarawalkam area; 840 out of 1541 votes in two booths at Avalur; 667 out of 1315 votes polled in two booths at Aarpakkam; 665 out of 1294 in two booths at Perumbakkam and 642 out of 1275 in two booths at Kavanthandalam.

While Mr. Kumar secured the highest number of 613 votes at Melottivakkam, his native village, Ms. Mythili bagged 758 votes in a booth at the weaver-dominated Pillayarpalayam area. With regard to the booths where more than 90 per cent of polling was recorded on Saturday, the AIADMK secured more votes in Kolivakkam and Nelveli (Aasoor) booths and DPA in Kambarajapuram.

After receiving the declaration certificate from the District Election Officer and Collector, R. Venkatesan, Ms. Mythili told reporters that the by-election results reflected the faith and confidence reposed by the voters of Tamil Nadu in Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.

She was accompanied by a group of Ministers led by Finance Minister C. Ponnaiyan and Handlooms Minister V. Somasundaram and the party treasurer, Dindigul Srinivasan.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu