Patil to begin campaign from Chennai

UPA candidate Patil begins her campaign for presidential elections in Chennai with a rally that is being touted as an all-women rally.

United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate Pratibha Patil begins her campaign for presidential elections in Chennai on Sunday with a rally that thousands of women are expected to attend.

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Patil, who generally speaks in Hindi, is expected to speak in English when she addresses her Chennai audience.

DMK patriarch and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi is the host for the event.

The rally is being touted in Chennai as an all-women rally for Patil, who will be India's first woman president if she wins the July 19 election.

DMK women leaders and Rajya Sabha member MK Kanimozhi, the chief minister's daughter, will be in the forefront of Patil's welcoming party. The DMK and its allies will provide at least 50,000 women for the evening gathering.

Another 20,000 Mahila Congress workers from the state will take part in the rally, said Congress leader Gayatri Devi. The 35 Congress MLAs in the state and 13 party MPs will be in attendance.