CHENNAI: The long gap between 1973 and 1996 without an elected local body was preceded by a scam that shook the entire state – the muster roll scam of Madras Corporation.
Councillors from the DMK and the Congress had allegedly colluded with the Corporation officials to create bogus muster rolls of contract labourers and had siphoned off money. After the scam came to light in 1973, the then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was forced to dissolve the Council in the face of pressure from the Opposition. The alleged conspiracy took place between April 1969 and November 1973. After the dissolution of the Council, no election was held to the local bodies till the Panchayati Raj Act came into force necessitating the state to call for elections.