CHENNAI: Taking the lead again in local body elections, AIADMK general secretary and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa released the list of party candidates for councillor posts in all 12 municipal corporations. The list was released just a couple of hours after the notification for the elections are issued.
Of the 12 Mayors, only three - from Salem, Tiruchy and Thanjavur - have been given party ticket to contest this time. In Salem, sitting Mayor S Soundappan is contesting again while Deputy Mayor M Natesan is also given party ticket again.
In Tiruchy, sitting Mayor MSR Jaya is contesting from ward No 51 while former Mayor Charubala Thondaiman who had recently joined the AIADMK, is contesting from ward No.44
From Thanjavur, sitting Mayor Savithri Gopal is contesting again.
As far as Chennai Corporation is concerned, sitting Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy has been denied party ticket to contest the elections. However, a few former MLAs and senior functionaries have been given opportunity to contest this time.
Of them, N Balaganga, party’s north Chennai district secretary N Balaganga who is contesting from ward No.78 and JCD Prabhakar, who is contesting from ward No.80 are the frontrunners for mayorship.
The other key functionaries who are contesting in Chennai are: JCD PrabhakarVNP Venkatraman, former MLA, Anandur constituency (ward 166), KP Kandan, former MLA and now secretary, Sozhinganallur west unit of the party and Neelankarai MC Munusamy (ward 192), secretary, AIADMK’s fishermen wing.
Of the 200 wards, as per the 50 per cent reservation and the reservation for SC(women), 108 wards have gone to women in Chennai corporation. Now, the AIADMK has fielded women candidates in 109 wards.