Youtuber Padmapriya, activist Sneha Mohandoss in MNM candidates' list

Famous Youtuber Padmapriya and social activities Sneha Mohandoss figure among nine women in the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM)’s first list of 70 candidates for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

Padma Priya shot to limelight after her explanatory video of the Environment Impact Assessment 2020 (EIA draft 2020) went viral. Through her Youtube channel Chennai Thamizhachi, Padma Priya raised questions on the draft and criticized the government on its clauses. She had to eventually take down the video after being trolled and allegedly coming under political pressure for speaking against the government, even though several people including celebrities supported her. She later uploaded another video clarifying her decision behind deleting the video on the draft.

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Reacting to her nomination on Twitter, Padma Priya, who is the MNM’s state secretary for its environmental wing, promised to bring ‘real change’ while urging the youth to join politics to bring social change.

உங்க வீட்டு M.L.A ஆகா நான் Ready; மாற்றத்தை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ள #maduravoyal தயாரா? #YouthForSocialChange I promise to bring in the “Real Change” Youth must step into POLITICS to bring in Social Change & I have already started because விதைத்தது @ikamalhaasan #TNElections2021 #MNM pic.twitter.com/ppV3hmypZy

— Padma Priya (@Tamizhachi_Offl) March 11, 2021

Padma Priya will contest the elections from the Mauravoyal constituency of Chennai.
Sneha Mohandoss, the founder of Food Bank of India, an initiative to feed the poor, will contest from the Saidapet constituency of Chennai. She was one of the women who handled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Twitter account for a day on Women’s Day last year. She is currently the state secretary of Maiam Maadhar Padai, MNM’s women’s wing.

Soon after the list was declared, Sneha took to Twitter to thank MNM leader Kamal Haasan for choosing her.

“I will make sure to give my heart & soul to bring the change we want to see,” she tweeted.

My heartfelt thanks to my Leader
Dr.@ikamalhaasan sir for choosing me as MLA candidate for Saidapet Constituency. I will make sure to give my heart & soul to bring the change we want to see??#சீரமைப்போம்_தமிழகத்தை pic.twitter.com/bTxbFkA9JS

— Sneha Mohandoss (@snehamohandoss) March 10, 2021

Women constitute almost 12 per cent of the party’s candidates selected for the first list, in line with MNM’s vision to empower women. The other women candidates are Lavanya, K Shakila, Anusiya, Lakshmi, Anusha Ravi, Uma Devi and Latish Mary who will be contesting from Thiruporur, Penagaram, Mettur, Mettupalayam, Tiruppur South, Arupukottai and Kulachal constituencies respectively.

Party chief Kamal Haasan, however, is yet to declare the constituency he will be contesting from.

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