THENI: The DMK has won the most number of seats in the urban local body polls in the district that has 6 municipalities and 22 town panchayats with 177 wards and 366 wards respectively.
A total of 799 candidates contested for 175 vacant ward member posts in six municipalities, while one each from Chinnamannur and Gudalur municipalities was elected unopposed. Similarly, 1,161 candidates contested for 331 vacant town panchayat posts among whom 5 were elected unopposed.
Sources said since there were no adequate arrangements made for the party agents, the counting for Bodinayakanur municipality was delayed for a while.
Periyakulam municipality, which is considered to be the stronghold of AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam, saw DMK winning in a majority of the wards by securing 12 seats. AIADMK secured 8 seats in the ward.
Notably, AMMK won 3 seats, PMK won in one ward and three others were secured by independent candidates, while CPM, AIFB and IUML secured one seat each.
Of the six municipalities, DMK along with its allies won by a huge margin in five municipalities. Accordingly, they won 26 of the 33 seats in Cumbum municipality, 11 of the 21 seats in Gudalur municipality, 20 of the 27 seats in Chinnamannur municipality, 21 of the 33 wards in Theni Allinagaram municipality, 22 of the 33 seats in Bodinayakanur municipality.
Notably, BJP won one seat each in Chinnamannur and Theni Allinagaram municipalities, while it managed to secure 2 seats in Bodinayakanur municipality. AMMK also secured 2 seats in Theni Allinagaram.
While DMK secured 203 seats in 22 town panchayats, AIADMK secured 65 seats. Other parties along with independent candidates secured 64 seats.