CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday announced two women nominees for both reserved constituencies — Madurantakam and Dharapuram — where bye-elections are scheduled for October 6.
Kanitha Sampath (60), a two-time MLA from the Chengalpattu region, is the party candidate for Madurantakam (SC) constituency, while K Bhanumathi — joint secretary, women’s wing, Tiruppur rural east district, and former member of the District Panchayat Committee — is the AIADMK candidate for the Dharapuram (SC) constituency.
Madurantakam is not a new constituency for Sampath, as she had represented this Assembly segment between 2011 and 2016.
She exuded confidence that her chances of winning are bright, as she had nurtured this constituency in the past.
Talking to the TNIE, Sampath said she won from Thiruporur constituency in the 2001 Assembly election, and later, she was given an opportunity in Madurantakam in 2011.
She narrowly missed a return to the Assembly in 2021 when she contested from Cheyyur constituency. She has been with the AIADMK since 1982 and held various party positions during the past 45 years. At present, she is the joint secretary to the women’s wing.
Hailing from an agricultural family, Bhanumathi too has been a long-time member of the AIADMK and she has held numerous positions in public life. Having a BA in sociology, Bhanumathi had served as the Dharapuram Panchayat Union chairperson from 2001 to 2006 and served as a member of the Tiruppur District Panchayat Council from 2019 to 2024.