Meet Ganga Nayak, The Only Transgender Candidate To Win Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Election
Ganga Nayak has created history in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday after she won the seat in the urban local body polls, making her the first transgender candidate to achieve the feet.
The 49-year-old who was fielded by Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK was declared the winner in ward 37 in the Vellore Municipal Corporation.
Just three transgender candidates
She was one of the three transgenders who contested the polls this time.
The other two were Jayadevi of AIADMK from Teynampett in Chennai corporation and Rajamma of BJP from the posh Tiru Vi Ka Nagar ward of Chennai corporation.
Ganga has been a member of DMK for more than 20 years and is known for her work for the community.?
Ganga emerged victorious with a small margin of 15 votes. She had garnered 2,131 votes in the elections.
She is currently the secretary of the South India Transgender Association.
Social activist
Born in a family of daily wage workers, Ganga has made a name for herself as a social activist.?
She is also the founding member of a theatrical troupe with 50 members, including 30 transgender people.?
As many as 57,778 candidates contested for 12,607 posts of ward members in 648 urban local bodies.
Polls were announced last month by the TN State Election Commission for a total of 12,838 ward member posts in 649 urban civic bodies. The 649 urban local bodies are 21 municipal corporations, 138 municipalities and 490 town panchayats.
Other interesting candidates who were declared winners on Tuesday include a mother-son duo and a husband and wife.
Three candidates, including an AIADMK candidate, got only zero votes in Karambukudi panchayat in Pudukottai district even though all three had votes in the same constituency.
Polls after 11 years
The urban polls were held in the state after a gap of 11 years.
According to the State Election Commission till the late afternoon, the DMK alliance won 494 seats in corporations, 2,021 in municipalities, and 4,619 seats in town panchayats.
The AIADMK, on the other hand won only 81 wards in corporations, 511 in municipalities, and 1,188 seats in town panchayats.
The BJP, which contested alone, won 255 wards - 7 in corporations, 113 seats in municipalities, and 135 seats in town panchayats.
Five candidates supported by Vijay Makkal Iyyakam, the fans association of superstar Vijay, won in corporation wards, including 3 in Chennai.
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