Mangaluru: The Toll Gate Virodhi Horata Samiti, Surathkal, has begun an indefinite strike demanding the closure of the Surathkal toll plaza.

The MPs had promised at the National Highway Authority of India's (NHAI) meeting that the contract for the toll collection at the Surathkal toll gate will not be renewed after its date gets over on October 30. But now the NHAI authorities have once again initiated the process to renew the contract. With this, the highway authorities have decided to continue the illegal tollgate. MP Nalin Kumar Kateel is directly responsible for this, the protesters alleged.

Convener of Toll Gate Virodhi Horata Samiti Muneer Katipalla, former MLA Vijayakumar Shetty, MCC member Dayanand Shetty, Revati Putran, Purushottam Chitrapura, Former Mayor Hilda Alva, Raghavendra Rao, Joekatte Panchayat President Presilla Montaro, BK Imtiyaz, Santosh Bajal, Padre Rajesh Shetty, Mousabba Pakshikere, Srinath Kulalu, Ayub Koluru, Dinesh Kumpala, TN Raghavendra, Rahim Pakshikere, Abubakar Bawa, Rashid Mukka, Naveen Konchadi, Nasir Krishnapura, Ashraf Safa, Salim Katipalla, Hussain Katipalla, Santosh Kumar Hegde Kinnigoli, Durgaprasad Hegde Kinnigoli, Srikanth Salian, Bharat Shetty Kulai, Gangadhar Hosabettu, Gangadhar Banjan, D'Souza, jankoluru, Giridhar Sanil,Puneet Shetty, MG Hegde, Dalit leader Raghu Ekkar, Bhaskar Bajpe, Kamalaksha Bajal, JDS DK district President Mohammed Kunhi, Vasant Poojary, Muneer Mukkachcheri, Madhusudan Gowda, Congress leaders Farooq Ullal, Sadashiva Shetty, leaders of various organisations, and others participated in the protest.

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Chennai (PTI): Before giving birth, she had already delivered a mandate—a symbol of hope for Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.

Echoing Delhi’s 2013 “common citizen” political churn associated with the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an eight-month-pregnant homemaker, M R Pallavi, has been elected as an MLA from Chennai’s Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency, emerging as one of the notable first-time faces of the Vijay-led TVK in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

In the narrow lanes of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, a steady stream of media personnel has been making their way to Pallavi’s residence—a scene reminiscent of the result day in Delhi when journalists thronged the modest home of Rakhi Birla, who had won from Mangolpuri on an AAP ticket.

Pallavi, 36, a homemaker educated up to class XII, defeated the DMK candidate K S Ravichandran by a margin of 22,333 votes in the reserved Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituency.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.

Pallavi’s victory has drawn attention due to her personal circumstances. She campaigned extensively while eight months pregnant, going door-to-door to reach voters.

According to local accounts, she even fainted once during the campaign but continued her outreach.

She has not spoken to the media following her victory, as doctors have advised her to rest. Her husband, Rajesh, briefly recounted her campaign efforts.

A self-professed admirer of actor-turned-politician Vijay, Pallavi joined TVK soon after its formation and is now among its first-time legislators.

Doctors have advised her to be hospitalised around May 20, as she is expecting her second child. Ahead of that, voters in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar have entrusted her with representing them in the state Assembly.

Political observers say the rise of candidates like Pallavi signals a possible shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with voters backing a new party and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.