DMK's Kanimozhi, after two terms in Rajya Sabha, filed an application seeking her candidature in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Daughter of late DMK chief M Karunanidhi, filed the application with her party, probably to contest from the Thoothukudi Lok Sabha constituency. 

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“It is for the party to decide her candidacy for the Lok Sabha elections,” she told reporters after filing her application at the party headquarters in Chennai on Monday. However, if the party decides in her favour, this would Kanimozhi's first time to face the public electorate. She was nominated to the Upper House twice in 2007 and 2013. Her second term as Rajya Sabha is ending in July this year.

According to sources, DMK president MK Stalin approved his stepsister Kanimozhi's candidature from the southern Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi Lok Sabha seat with an eye on consolidating the votebank of the influential Nadar community. Kanimozh's mother Rajathiammal belongs to the Nadar community exercises power in the districts of Tuticorin, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari.

A senior DMK leader said that after the demise of DMK leader Karunanidhi, Stalin took a conscious decision to strengthen the party in the southern districts. “Kanimozhi’s candidature from Thoothukudi will help consolidate Nadar community votebank in the three southern districts,” the leader said.

With an eye on the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, Stalin asked Kanimozhi to take part in the party’s rural outreach programme – grama sabha meetings held in Thoothukudi district. A Grama Sabha meeting was also held at Ilupaiyoorani village near Kovilpatti in the district. Geetha Jeevan, district secretary of North Thoothukudi, told the public that Kanimozhi would be contesting from the Thoothukudi Parliamentary constituency.

“She is well aware of the issues faced by the people. In the event of Congress led government comes at the centre, she could even get Cabinet berth,” she declared. The DMK also hopes to gain from the public anger against the police firing on the anti-Sterlite protesters in May last year which led to the killing of 13 people.