B. Valarmathi, is the sitting MLA from Thousand Lights constituency and is the social welfare minister. The MLA, who scrapped through a margin of less than 8,000 votes in 2011 polls, has been fielded again by AIADMK to retain the hot seat located in Central Chennai.
A native of Madurai, the 58-year-old is a strong organiser equipped with party's powerful women's wing at her disposal. The three time MLA is not a graduate, but can connect with the local public well. She has been a state minister, twice during AIADMK rule and is one of the very few ministers to be retained by AIADMK top brass in the ministry and given the seat of her choice.
Strength — Valarmathi has political roots dating back to MGR days and is quite a popular face among political circles and can command over the parties zonal, district and ward units clearing any intra-party feuds.
Weakness — She resides at K. K. Nagar and not a local to Thousand Lights. With more Muslim votes in Thousand Lights, the DMK is likely to field Mohammad Ali Jinnah who lost to Valarmathi by a narrow margin in the last polls. With Muslim outfits rallying behind DMK as part of the alliance, the party will try to win the seat again.
X - factor — The constituency had always witnessed a close contest. In the past 11 elections, DMK had retained the seat seven times with M.K.Stalin as its MLA for four terms.
(Compiled by C.S.Kotteswaran)
