CHENNAI: Her surname is her visiting card. But T Porkodi Armstrong’s efforts to get elected as MLA from Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency do not hinge on her husband’s name alone.Porkodi, holding her two-and-half-year-old child Savithiri Bai, goes door-to-door and does not miss even narrow lanes of the constituency, talking about the civic woes of this backward constituency, brimming with hope.“Politics is new to me, but not public service or governance,” she says. Porkodi has a clear civic plan for the constituency, where she has spent all her life. “The focus will be on sanitation. We need to build more toilets, ensure safety and improve education,” she said, making her way through the crowd, with the backdrop of MGR songs blasting from speakers. Called ‘Anni’ by residents and partymen, Porkodi has her men tasked with conducting surveys in streets of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar. She has formed a committee to draft a ‘solution-oriented manifesto,’ which will be released soon. The solutions include mobile toilets, CCTV cameras in streets, and basic civic necessities such as water and roads.While Armstrong, a practising Buddhist, was busy with politics, it was Porkodi, who adopted Buddhism herself, who had taken on the responsibility of organizing several hundred ceremonies and felicitations. However, after the demise of Armstrong, she is increasingly involved in party matters, decision-making and has entered the public realm. Her close allies say that more than justice being served, which is the hands of the judicial system, Porkodi wants to give back to the people of her constituency, most of whom still connect with her family and show up for Armstrong.Porkodi’s campaign starts at 7am and lasts till noon, only to resume at 4pm. It goes on till 10pm. She is often accompanied by her daughter who could be seen waving to the crowd and shouting “Vote for ‘Retta Ilai’ (Two Leaves), Vote for Amma.”While traversing through the streets of Mettupalayam, Porkodi relies on translators to listen to the Telugu-speaking women. Her campaign vehicle carries several pictures — of Edappadi K Palaniswami, Jayalalithaa, MGR, Ambedkar, Armstrong and herself.
