TENKASI: With the results of rural local body elections out, horse-trading has begun for the posts of union chairperson and village vice presidents, set to be elected indirectly on October 22.
TNIE spoke to two DMK councillor-elects of Alangulam Union who, along with their spouses, were allegedly taken to Ooty. Requesting anonymity, both claimed they were picked up by supporters of contractor Maridurai whose daughter Divya, a DMK councillor-elect from Ward 13, is in the chairman race in Alangulam Panchayat Union Council.
“I was given Rs 6 lakh as election expenditure, and Rs 4 lakh to support Divya in the indirect election,” said a councillor-elect.
Alangulam Panchayat Union has 23 wards. The DMK and its ally Congress secured 16 and three wards respectively while Independent candidates won in four wards. “However, supporters of Maridurai have to appease 12 DMK councillor-elects as former minister Aladi Aruna’s son Ezhilvanan, who won from Ward 18, is also trying to get the chairman post by wooing some councillor-elects,” said sources.
When contacted, Maridurai said his supporters are bringing some of the councillor-elects to temples. “Divya will be the party candidate from the DMK side for the post of chairperson,” he said, and refuted the allegations of giving the councillor-elects money.
DMK district secretary Siva Padmanathan said his party would officially declare a candidate for the post of chairman in two days. “Ezhilvanan could not fulfil some of the demands of the party. That is why the district unit of the DMK considered Divya for the chairperson post. It was done in the presence of Ezhilvanan. The councillor-elects of Alangulam were just taken on a tour. Even their counterparts in Kadayam and Melaneelithanallur will soon go on a tour,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ezhilvanan said he does not want to comment as his views may be considered as anti-party opinion. Meanwhile, the village panchayat ward members TNIE spoke to in Keezhapavoor Union said they are being lured with money ranging from Rs 40,000 to Rs 75,000 by the vice-president aspirants. “I have been given a task by a vice-president aspirant to take six ward members to a hotel in Kanniyakumari. I received `85,000 from him as an advance payment, of which Rs 20,000 each has been given to three ward members so far,” said the relative of a village panchayat ward member.
State Election Commissioner V Palanikumar said, taking someone forcefully is like wrongful confinement and will affect someone's liberty. "I do not know if the councillor-elects willingly went on a tour. However, I will ask the District Election Officer (DEO)-cum-Collector S Gopala Sundararaj and Superintendent of Police to inquire into this," he added.