Chennai, March 4: Senior Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Kanimozhi filed an application at the party headquarters on Monday, seeking to contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Thoothukudi constituency in Tamil Nadu. The seat, also referred to as Tuticorin, is currently held by All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MP Jeyasingh Thiyagaraj Natterjee.

Kanimozhi, who is also the daughter of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, is currently a member of the Rajya Sabha. Over the past couple of months, reports said, she has been sending feelers to the party top brass indicating her will to enter into the electoral fray in the forthcoming general elections. Congress to Contest 9 Seats in Alliance With DMK in Tamil Nadu.

Notably, Thoothukudi is among the large number of seats in the state where the prospects of the ruling AIADMK has been slashed. Apart from the anti-incumbency wave against the Palanisamy-Panneerselvam regime, the constituency has also been rocked by the anti-Sterilite protests.

In 2014, elections were held for the first time in the newly carved out constituency of Thoothukudi -- formed after delimiting Tiruchendur parliamentary seat. The AIADMK had then emerged victorious with a margin of 124,002 votes. The trailing DMK candidate was Jegan P.

From Tamil Nadu, a total of 39 parliamentarians are elected. In the last Lok Sabha polls, the AIADMK staged a near clean sweep, winning 37 seats. Of the remaining 2 constituencies, the BJP and the PMK wrested 1 each.

The battlelines have been drawn in the state ahead of the polls this year, with the DMK and the Congress forming a pre-poll pact -- the latter to contest on 9 seats, whereas, the DMK will accommodate communist parties and MDMK in its share of 30 constituencies. The AIADMK, on the other hand, has formed a pact with the BJP (5 seats) and PMK (7 seats).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 04, 2019 03:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).