VELLORE: For the first time in the history of Arakkonam municipality, an AIADMK candidate, (S Kannadasan) won the post of the chairperson of the local body held by the DMK since 1980. Nonetheless, two independent candidates who contested for the posts of ward members defeated the ruling party’s candidates in Timiri town panchayat and panchayat union of KV Kuppam.
“This is the first time, the AIADMK is wining the chairperson post in Arakkonam municipality. The post was lying vacant after the demise of then chairperson K Manoharan, of DMK functionary,” said an official. Kannadasan secured a total of 22,301 votes out of 27,520 votes polled at the by-poll, said the official and added that the Independent candidate C P Eswaran got as many as 3,205 votes.
The by-poll was held for 32 vacant posts—Chairperson of Arakkonam municipality, one councillor (35th ward) in Vaniyambadi municipality, one ward member of town panchayat, one panchayat union ward member, four presidents of village panchayats and 24 village panchayat ward members—in Vellore district.
Independent candidate N Lakshmi won the post of the panchayat union ward member post in K V Kuppam. She defeated the AIADMK candidate D Mahalingam by 42 votes. AIADMK candidate S G Kesavan lost to Independent candidate T R Shanmugam for ward member post of 14th ward in Timiri by four votes.