Chennai: Thoothukudi has become the most sought after constituency this Lok Sabha election. While DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi has given her application form to contest from the pearl city, BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan too has said the party has sought to contest from the constituency. Thoothukudi is considered as an all important constituency as it witnessed the shooting of 14 people who protested against the Vedanta’s Sterlite copper smelter plant and has seen various protests in the past few years.
SO FAR…
The Thoothukudi constituency was originally part of Tiruchendur constituency and was delimited to Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi constituencies during the 2009 Lok Sabha election. DMK’s S R Jeyadurai won the first Lok Sabha election for the constituency in 2009 and AIADMK’s Jayasingh Thiyagaraj Natterjee won in 2014 and is the incumbent MP. It comprises Tiruchendhur, Srivaikuntam, Thoothukudi, Ottapidaram, Kovilpatti and Vilathikulam Assembly constituencies.
IN NUMBERS
As per 2011 census, the population was 1,750,176 making it the 277th most populous district of India. The area has a population density of 369 people per sq km and the sex ratio here is 1,024 females per 1,000 males.