MAYILADUTHURAI: Congress won the Mayiladuthurai Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday as its candidate R Sudha secured 5,18,459 votes, defeating her nearest rival AIADMK's P Babu by a margin of 2,71,183 votes.
R Sudha is the second woman MP to be elected from the constituency after Maragatham Chandrasekar. Right from the first round, R Sudha took the lead over her opponents - AIADMK's P Babu, Pattali Makkal Katchi's MaKa Stalin, Naam Tamilar Katchi's P Kaliyammal.
She polled 5,18,459 votes, while P Babu secured 2,47,276 votes, MaKa Stalin 1,66,271 votes and P Kaliyammal 1,27,642 votes. After 23 rounds of counting, R Sudha emerged victorious following which she received her victory certification from Collector and Returning Officer AP Mahabharathi and General Observer Kanhuraj H Bagate.
Sudha, 46, a lawyer, hails from Gummidipoondi in Thiruvallur district. She was also the former president of Tamil Nadu Mahila Congress. Talking to reporters, she thanked leaders of the INDIA bloc - Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, DMK chief MK Stalin and TNPCC chief K Selvaperunthugai - for giving her the opportunity.
Sudha, who marched along with Rahul Gandhi during the entire Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanniyakumari to Kashmir, credited it for INDIA bloc's performance in the Lok Sabha polls across the country. "I dedicate my victory to everyone. I assure to work sincerely," she said. When asked if she would be visiting the constituency frequently, she added, "I will work like my predecessors. I hope people accept me as one of their own."