RAMANATHAPURAM: Scripting history, independent candidates won in all the 15 wards of Sayalkudi town panchayat and 14 independent candidates emerged victorious in Kamuthi town panchayat which has 15 wards in total.
Among those who gave the candidates of the Dravidian majors (AIADMK and DMK) a run for their money in Sayalkudi town panchayat are independents R Mariayappan, who secured 277 votes (the least), and S Manickavel who got 450 votes (the highest).
Kamuthi town panchayat also saw a similar trend, with independents winning in 14 of the total 15 wards. In the town panchayat elections, 10 independent candidates and one BJP candidate J Sathiya, were declared elected unopposed on February 7, following scrutiny/withdrawal of nominations.
As a result, only four wards (2,3,6 and 9) out of the total 15 wards in the town panchayat went to the polls.
On the day of counting on Tuesday, independents were elected as town panchayat ward members in all the four wards for which elections were held. They include Selvendiran who bagged 192 votes (the least among the four winning candidates) and Ponnusamy who bagged 429 votes (highest among the four winning candidates).
Besides the two town panchayats, independents made a mark at Mudukulathur town panchayat which has a total of 15 wards by winning six wards, followed by DMK that won in five wards.
Similarly, pushing AIADMK to the third spot, independents won in five out of the total 18 wards in Mandapam town panchayat and four out of 15 wards in Thondi town panchayat. DMK secured the highest number of seats in the two town panchayats.