3 women each in tight race for Kovai, Vellore mayor posts

Intense race has begun among women party heavyweights in the DMK to occupy the post of mayor in Coimbatore and Vellore following the landslide victory for DMK in the urban local body polls.

Party functionaries claimed that an intense lobbying is going through among the candidates to grace the prestigious chair in the council set to be formed in majority by the DMK for the first time.

This will be the first time, the Coimbatore Corporation formed in 1981, is gearing up to welcome a woman Mayor. Also, that too from the DMK, which so for couldn’t hold the reins of the Corporation, the largest in Tamil Nadu, next only to Chennai.

Speculations are rife that three women candidates were among the front runners in the race for the prestigious post.  Of them, Ilakummi Izhamselvi, who won from ward 52, is touted to be the party’s Mayor candidate. She is the wife of ex-legislator N Karthik, who held the post of Deputy Mayor earlier.

Similarly, Meena Logu, a former councillor, who won from ward 48, is also seen as a probable candidate. With her strong political acumen, Meena knows the knack of being in the spotlight with her vociferous protests in the erstwhile council led by a mayor from AIADMK.  

Another the names doing the rounds is 22 year old Nivetha Senathipathy, daughter of Coimbatore East district in-charge Maruthamalai Senathipathy. Though her family hold considerable clout in the party, the inexperience of the young politician is seen a handicap in her way to get the mayor post.

The DMK functionaries however said that the top leadership may even threw up surprises in the choice of candidate during the last moment.

Meanwhile, in Vellore, three candidates, Vimala, wife of Poonjolai Srinivasan in ward 2, Pushpalatha wife of DMK functionary and Minister Duraimurugan’s acolyte Vanniaraja in ward 7 and Sivasankari, daughter of senior DMK hand AM Ramalingam in ward 9, are in the fray for the post of Vellore Mayor.

While Vimala and Puspalatha belong to the Vanniyar caste, Sivasankari belongs to Mudaliar community. Duraimurugan may support either of the former two, but the party high command may choose Sivasankari.

A political observer seeking anonymity said, “Duraimurugan will naturally support somebody from his caste, though his party top brass may feel the post must go to Sivasankari as her father Ramalingam had lost twice in Assembly elections and once in Lok Sabha poll.”

The feeling at Arivalayam is that Sivasankari should be given the post “due to the common perception to appease Mudaliar community members. It will also offer solace to Ramalingam, a loyal cadre,” DMK sources said, adding, “we will now have to see whether Duraimurugan has the clout to overcome Arivalayam’s diktats.”