Jothimani Sennimalai (born 9 August 1975), also known mononymously as Jothimani, is an Indian politician, writer, and social worker. A member of the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
, she was elected to the
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past ...
from
Karur
Karur () is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Karur is the administrative headquarters of Karur district. It is located on the banks of River Amaravathi, Kaveri and Noyyal.
Karur is well known for the export of Home Textile products to ...
,
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
in 2019. Having joined politics at a young age, Jothimani served separate terms as the General Secretary and Vice President of
Indian Youth Congress
The Indian Youth Congress is the youth wing of the Indian National Congress party. The Indian Youth Congress was a department of the Indian National Congress from the period just after the Partition of India in 1947 until the late 1960s. While p ...
and Tamil Nadu Youth Congress respectively.
Early life and education
Jothimani was born on 9 August 1975 at Periya Thirumangalam,
Aravakurichi
Aravakurichi is a panchayat town and a Taluk headquarters in Karur district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Aravakurichi is well known in Tamil Nadu as a major market for Moringa oleifera vegetable (commonly known as Drumstick). Aravakurichi ...
,
Karur District
Karur District is one of the 38 districts (a district located centrally along the Kaveri and Amaravathi River, Amaravathi rivers) in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The main town in Karur District is the city of Karur, which is also the district ...
to Sennimalai and Muthulakshmi.
Her father Sennimalai was a farmer. She lost her father Sennimalai in her childhood. With the support of her mother Muthulakshmi, she completed her Graduation at Sri G.V.G Visalakshi College for Women,
Udumalaipet. During her college days, she was elected as Chair of College Students Union. She was an active participant in the
NSS Camps in college and took part in social service activities.
Her academic degrees include: Master of Arts,
Annamalai University
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, 2003;
and
Master of Philosophy
The Master of Philosophy (MPhil; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. In the United States, an MPhil typically includes a taught portion and a significant research portion, during which a thesis project is conducted under supervision. An MPhil m ...
,
Annamalai University
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, 2005.
Political career
Early career
Jothimani enter the field of politics at her age of 22. She was an active worker in
Indian Youth Congress
The Indian Youth Congress is the youth wing of the Indian National Congress party. The Indian Youth Congress was a department of the Indian National Congress from the period just after the Partition of India in 1947 until the late 1960s. While p ...
and a close associate of the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
president
Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi ( ; born 19 June 1970) is an Indian politician and a member of the Indian Parliament, representing the constituency of Wayanad, Kerala in the 17th Lok Sabha. A member of the Indian National Congress, he served as the president of ...
.
She was Member of Tamil Nadu
Censor Board
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory film-certification body in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India. It is tasked with "regulating the public exhibition of films under the provision ...
during 2006 to 2009.
She has represented the
Indian Youth Congress
The Indian Youth Congress is the youth wing of the Indian National Congress party. The Indian Youth Congress was a department of the Indian National Congress from the period just after the Partition of India in 1947 until the late 1960s. While p ...
at international forums like American Council for Young Political Leaders that was held in the US in 2006 and Asian Young Leader's Summit 2009 in Malaysia. She was also selected for Vital-Voice of Asia Asian Women Leaders Meet held in
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
in 2010.
Jothimani then unsuccessfully contested the
2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election
The Fourteenth Legislative Assembly Election was held on 13 April 2011 to elect members from 234 constituencies in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Results were released on 13 May 2011. Two major parties Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All In ...
after securing the Indian National Congress' candidature from
Karur constituency.
Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 2016
In July, 2015, Jothimani launched her election campaign from
Aravakurichi constituency for
2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election
The Fifteenth Legislative Assembly Election was held on 16 May 2016 for the 232 seats (except Thanjavur and Aravakurichi for which held on 26 October 2016) of the Legislative Assembly in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. AIADMK under J. Jayal ...
. She has intensified the campaign on the ground and through social media as well. She has been meeting various sections of the people in the constituency and called upon them to give a "missed call" if they supported her candidature. Calendars and pamphlets explaining the initiative have been distributed across the constituency. Her Facebook and Twitter account with the hashtag, 'Aravakurichi 2016,' are replete with postings and pictures of her interaction with voters of the constituency. She has also formed youth groups to reach out to the voters.
Between the time the DMK and Congress declared that the national party – Congress would contest from 41 seats and the announcement about which the seats were, there was a rather extended period of silence, filled with suspense. When Aravakurichi did not figure on the Congress list, Jothimani unleashed a volley of strong criticisms and even threatened to contest as an independent candidate. But the alliance leader put its foot down, refusing to concede. For one, this is one of the rare seats that the DMK bagged in the last Assembly election. More importantly, the sitting MLA, the one who is seeking re-election this time, is K C Palanisamy, an important leader in the party affairs in many ways.
After a meeting with her supporters, she said that she has decided not to contest in the Aravakurichi constituency in the overall interest of the Congress party. The Election was about to be held on 16 May 2016. Then the election commission postponed it to 23 May 2016 and again postpone the polling along with Thanjavur Assembly constituencies to 13 June 2016. Finally Election Commission cancelled polls to Aravakurichi and Thanjavur Assembly seats.
2019 Election to the Parliament
Jothimani attained the Indian National Congress' candidature for the
Indian general election, 2019
General elections were held in India in seven phases from 11 April to 19 May 2019 to elect the members of the 17th Lok Sabha. Votes were counted and the result was declared on 23 May. Around 912 million people were eligible to vote, and voter ...
from
Karur
Karur () is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Karur is the administrative headquarters of Karur district. It is located on the banks of River Amaravathi, Kaveri and Noyyal.
Karur is well known for the export of Home Textile products to ...
constituency of the
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past ...
. In what was seen as a major upset by many media outlets and political analyst, Jothimani went on to defeat veteran
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; AIADMK) is an Indian regional political party with great influence in the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It is a Dravidian party founded by the former chief mini ...
leader,
M. Thambidurai
Munisamy Thambidurai (born 15 March 1947) is an Indian politician who served as the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha and leader of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. He ...
who had previously served as
Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha
The Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha (IAST: ) is the second highest ranking legislative officer of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India. They act as the presiding officer in case of leave or absence caused by death or illnes ...
Speaker and in the Union Cabinet.
Activism
Controversy with BJP Karu Nagarajan
During a live interview in a private television about the spread of
COVID-19 in India
The COVID-19 pandemic in India is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). As of , according to Indian government figures, India has the second-highest n ...
on May 18, 2020, a
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...
spokesperson Karu Nagarajan made
sexist remarks against Jothimani when she criticized the Bhartiya Janata party in mishandling the
Immigrant crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Jothimani quit the show on live television claiming that the BJP spokesperson made personal remarks after he was unable to answer her questions. The video went viral and Jothimani received huge support from people. The hashtag trended on social media.
Elections
Positions held
State level
* Councillor of K.Paramathi panchayat union for two terms from 1996 to 2006.
* District General Secretary of
Karur district
Karur District is one of the 38 districts (a district located centrally along the Kaveri and Amaravathi River, Amaravathi rivers) in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The main town in Karur District is the city of Karur, which is also the district ...
Congress from 1997 to 2004.
* Council Member of
Tamil Nadu Congress Commeitte from 1998 to 2000.
* Vice President, Tamil Nadu Youth Congress from 2006 to 2008.
* Member, Tamil Nadu Censor Board from 2006 to 2009.
National level
*
Indian Youth Congress
The Indian Youth Congress is the youth wing of the Indian National Congress party. The Indian Youth Congress was a department of the Indian National Congress from the period just after the Partition of India in 1947 until the late 1960s. While p ...
National Coordinator-
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
– 2008 (Appointed through State level talent search by Young Congress MPs).
*
Indian Youth Congress
The Indian Youth Congress is the youth wing of the Indian National Congress party. The Indian Youth Congress was a department of the Indian National Congress from the period just after the Partition of India in 1947 until the late 1960s. While p ...
general secretary – 2009 to 2012 (Appointed by
Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi ( ; born 19 June 1970) is an Indian politician and a member of the Indian Parliament, representing the constituency of Wayanad, Kerala in the 17th Lok Sabha. A member of the Indian National Congress, he served as the president of ...
, through National level talent search).
* State Returning Officer, Youth Congress Election – Kerala (Additional sharge).
* Media panelist on State issues in
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
.
* 2019–present (23 May 2019) Member
17th Lok Sabha
The 17th Lok Sabha was formed by the members elected in the 2019 Indian general election. Elections, all across India, were conducted in seven phases from 11 April 2019 to 19 May 2019 by the Election Commission of India. Counting started offi ...
-
Karur constituency
Books
* ''Ottrai Vasanai'' – Short story collection
* ''Sithirak Koodu'' – Novel
* ''Neer Pirakku Munn'' (Translated into English as ''No shortcut to Leadership'')
Awards
* Ilakkiya Chinthanai Award for Best short story, 1999
* Shakthi Award for Best short story collection, 2007
See also
*
P Chidambaram
Palaniappan Chidambaram (born 16 September 1945), better known as P. Chidambaram, is an Indian politician and lawyer who currently serves as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. He served as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee ...
*
Indian Youth Congress
The Indian Youth Congress is the youth wing of the Indian National Congress party. The Indian Youth Congress was a department of the Indian National Congress from the period just after the Partition of India in 1947 until the late 1960s. While p ...
*
Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi ( ; born 19 June 1970) is an Indian politician and a member of the Indian Parliament, representing the constituency of Wayanad, Kerala in the 17th Lok Sabha. A member of the Indian National Congress, he served as the president of ...
*
E V K S Elangovan
References
External links
Jothimani FacebookJothimani Twitter
{{authority control
1975 births
Living people
Indian Tamil people
Indian National Congress politicians from Tamil Nadu
Women in Tamil Nadu politics
India MPs 2019–present
Tamil writers
Indian Youth Congress
Indian women activists
People from Karur district
Annamalai University alumni
Indian women short story writers
Indian women novelists
Novelists from Tamil Nadu
21st-century Indian short story writers
21st-century Indian novelists
21st-century Indian women writers
Women writers from Tamil Nadu
21st-century Indian women politicians
21st-century Indian politicians