Kanimozhi likely to contest from Thoothukudi LS segment

The party has obliged Kanimozhi and allotted Thoothukudi for her to lead the “Gram Sabha” meetings there. Many in the party believe that the allocation was a confirmation that the leadership would not mind or rather fulfill her wish to contest the Parliamentary polls from the southern town.

It was no secret that Kanimozhi, whose tenure in the Upper House ends in the middle of the year, has set her eyes on the Pearl City even a year ago. If sources in the party were to be believed, an army of supporters were working for her in Thoothukudi preparing the ground for a grand victory in the ensuing Parliamentary elections. The buzz in Kanimozhi’s camp has of late been the victory margin and not winning the Thoothukudi ticket.

In fact, she has got into poll mode and startedworking even before her party finalised an alliance composition and the Election Commission announced theLok Sabha polls.

Party sources privy to the development said the Rajya Sabha MP has at least 100 people to cover each of the nearly 400 panchayats in the southern district. A core team from Chennai was also understood to have camped there to monitor the movement and functioning of the ground teams, which comprise mostly of youngsters in the constituency. Supporters of the MP have also met with traders and influential persons in the district to muster support among the local community.

On her part, Kanimozhi did not disappoint supporters when she was queried by media about contesting there. Asked if she chose Thoothukudi to prepare the ground for the LS polls, she said the question must be put to her party leader MK Stalin. “I will abide by whatever decision my leader takes,” she remarked, adding that she had come to Thoothukudi to lead the Gram Sabha meetings.