The DMK will field a total of 12 women candidates from its list of 173, which was made public on Friday. This makes about 6.9% of the total candidates, a ratio that is even lesser from the party’s own allocation during the last elections. In 2016, the DMK fielded 18 women candidates in all. The AIADMK has announced the names of 15 women candidates for the upcoming elections so far.
Notably, DMK has for long advocated for Women’s Reservation Bill that would ensure 33% seat reservation for women in government posts and legislatures. In 2019, DMK MP Kanimozhi had posed questions in this regard at the Lok Sabha.
Of the DMK’s women candidates, six will contest in reserved constituencies. Dr Poongothai Aladi Aruna, former Information Technology Minister (2006-2011), is once again being fielded from the Alangulam constituency, where she will face off AIADMK’s PH Manoj Pandian. Geetha Jeevan P will seek reelection from Thoothukudi constituency for the Assembly election. V Amalu, who unsuccessfully contested from Kilivaithinankuppam during the 2016 elections is now being fielded from the Gudiyatham reserved constituency. She will be up against the AIADMK’s Paridha.
Varalakshmi Madhusudhan will seek reelection from Chengalpattu constituency. P Seethapati Chokkalingam, who emerged victorious from Tindivanam in 2016, has been retained in this constituency. Notably, the DMK has so far not announced any women candidates standing from any constituencies in Tamil Nadu’s capital city Chennai.
Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, who was Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment between 2004 and 2009, is being fielded by the DMK from Modakurichi in Erode. Subbulakshmi is the Deputy General Secretary of the DMK party.
A Tamilarasi, who was the Minister for Adi-Dravidar and Tribal Welfare in Tamil Nadu state in 2006, is being fielded from Manamadurai. She was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from Samayanallur constituency in 2006.
Other women candidates being fielded by the DMK this election season include Chinnamal, K Sivagamasundari, Kayalvizhi Selvaraj and Jeeva Stalin.
In 2016, the DMK gave tickets to 18 women. In 2011, this number was even less, at 11.
Here’s the full list of women candidates and their respective constituencies:
> Dr Poongothai Aladi Aruna- Alangulam
> P Geetha Jeevan -Thoothukudi
> C Chinnamal- Madurai West
> A Tamilarasi- Manamadurai
> K Sivagamasundari- Krishnarayapuram (reserved)
> Kayalvizhi Selvaraj- Dharapuram (reserved)
> Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan- Modakurichi
> Jeeva Stalin- Aathur (reserved)
> J Rekha Priyadarshini- Gengavalli (reserved)
> P Seethapati Chokkalingam- Thindivanam (reserved)
> V Amalu- Gudiyatham (reserved)
> Varalakshmi Madhusudhan- Chengalpattu