VELLORE: Putting an end to speculation in the Fort City for the past five days, the Deputy Mayor of Vellore V D Dharmalingam (45 ward Councillor) officially tendered his resignation to the Corporation Commissioner on Thursday.
Commissioner Janaki Raveendran told Express that she had reported the vacant position (of the Deputy Mayor in Vellore Corporation) to the State government (Commissioner of Municipal Administration) and to the Election Commission and further directions were awaited in this regard.
While it was said that the district secretary of the AIADMK Elumalai had collected the resignation letter, there was no official communication in this regard either from the party or the Corporation.
Earlier on Saturday, rumours were abuzz that AIADMK party high command was unhappy with the performance of the Deputy Mayor in the recent general election and had insisted on his resignation based on complaints received from the party workers that he had worked against the party.
On Tuesday, there was talk that the government had accepted the resignation of the Deputy Mayor and he may be removed from the post and from the party as well. Again, no one in the party or from the officialdom could confirm this.
On Wednesday when Dharmalingam was seen at the Corporation office, many eyebrows were raised suspecting the credibility in the resignation episode.
When reporters sought his explanation, Dharmalingam maintained that he would continue to go by dictum of the party high command.
However on Thursday, Commissioner Janaki confirmed that she had officially received the resignation letter of Dharmalingam and Mayor Kathiyayini had also accepted the resignation.
She said that the election for the Deputy Mayor post would be held soon after the necessary notification and Dhamalingam would continue to be a Councillor in the Corporation.