CHENNAI: The State Cabinet on Tuesday is said to have discussed the possibility of reverting to indirect election to the posts of Mayors and municipal chairpersons. The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, lasted for around 40 minutes after which, Palaniswami had an ‘informal chat’ with his colleagues for 20 minutes.
The meeting also cleared a few investment proposals besides discussing the issues relating to Anna University. The government’s decision to revert to indirect elections comes amid speculation that its allies — PMK, DMDK, and BJP — would seek a sizeable number of seats in the Corporations.
Since Assembly is not in session, an ordinance may be promulgated after getting the nod from the Governor. When the AIADMK recently called for applications from party aspirants to contest the civic elections, it invited applications for Mayor posts separately, indicating that the party was keen on direct elections.
In January 2018, the government reversed its stand on the mode of election of Mayors from indirect to direct election. The Bill, introduced by Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani, said the direct election would facilitate better administration.