CHENNAI: The expansion of corporations and municipalities annexing parts of neighbouring local bodies has a crippling effect on the power dynamics at bottom-level functionaries of political parties, particularly in the DMK and the AIADMK.
Besides reducing posts of ward councillors, the proposal to expand the limits of corporations creates new posts that have greater jurisdiction posing threat to the incumbent ministers and MLAs. As many as 21 municipal corporations are set to witness elections in the next few months.
A section of functionaries say the expansion of Tambaram Corporation has eliminated over 100 ward councillors posts in the newly annexed areas. There were 178 ward councillors — Pallavaram (42), Pammal (21), Sembakkam (15) and Anakaputhur (18) municipalities and Thiruneermalai (18), Madambakkam (15), Chitlapakkam (18), Perungalathur (15) and Peerkankaranai (16) town panchayats —which are part of Tambaram Corporation.
“Even as the number of wards for Tambaram Corporation is yet to be finalised, over 100 persons have lost the chances of becoming councillors in any local body. Thus, there will be greater competition among bottom-level functionaries to get the seats for councillors post for Tambaram Corporation. Those who can afford to spend more money will get the seats,” said a former president of a town panchayat.
Interestingly, Avadi Corporation, which was proposed to be expanded two years ago by merging Poonamallee and Thiruverkadu municipalities, Thiruninravur Town panchayat, and 11 village panchayats remains only on paper.
The previous government allegedly put the expansion plan on hold as the AIADMK leadership wanted to keep posts of municipalities and town panchayats available for intermediate-level functionaries. Surprisingly, even after the regime change, the expansion of Avadi Corporation failed to take off as DMK, too, does not want more powers to get converged at one post in this region.
A Dharanitharan, activist and a resident of Avadi said, “The erstwhile area of Avadi special municipality comprising 48 wards had been renamed as corporation. Except for the name board, nothing has changed in the last two years.” Political observers pointed out that not only AIADMK, the incumbent district secretaries and ministers in the DMK were not interested in conducting direct polls for the posts of mayor.
“Direct elections for mayor post will create a powerful position for an elected representative within and outside the party. Most of the district secretaries are now in charge of two to three assembly constituencies. Any decision on local bodies is taken keeping the political interests of the party,” said Raveendran Duraisamy, a political commentator.