SALEM: Having secured the Salem City Municipal Corporation with a huge majority, the DMK has finalised two names each for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor respectively.
The DMK alliance has 51 wards in its tally. The DMK won in 47 of the total 60 wards, Congress won in two wards and VCK won in one. Thenmozhi, a DMK rebel who won as independent, rejoined the party after her victory. The AIADMK won in seven wards and the rest are independents.
Sources said S D Kalaiyamudhan (82), praesidium chairman of Salem central district DMK, and A Ramachandran (77), who is with the DMK for more than 50 years, are the frontrunners for the mayor post.
Similarly, M Ashokan and J Jayakumar are front runners for the Deputy Mayor post. Ashokan is a second-time councillor and Jayakumar is Salem urban DMK secretary.
A senior functionary told Express, "District Secretary Rajendran and Minister KN Nehru have finalised the four names. Apart from these four, Umarani, who won from ward 15 is also trying her luck for these two posts, She has a close connection with the Chief Minister's family. But already 11 City Municipal Corporations Mayor posts were allocated to women, she has very less chance." Salem central district DMK secretary and MLA R Rajendran said the high command will decide the candidate.