CHENNAI: The DMK-led alliance has cornered a lion’s share of posts in the nine districts where rural local body elections were held last week. After results for almost all posts were declared on Wednesday, the Dravidian major is set to capture all the nine district panchayats and a major chunk of panchayat unions.
Significantly, this is the party’s fourth victory under the stewardship of party president and Chief Minister MK Stalin, the others being the Lok Sabha elections and rural local body polls in 2019, and the State Assembly elections held earlier this year.
The results are an endorsement of the first five months in office, said Stalin, adding the DMK’s popularity increased in such a short time as the government has performed well. Thanking his colleagues, party leaders, and others, Stalin also called upon the newly elected members to strive hard to sustain the confidence people have reposed in the DMK.
Meanwhile, the AIADMK described it a “backdoor victory” for the DMK, alleging violation of rules and use of the State Election Commission as a puppet. Leaders O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami said the party would present the ‘violations of rules’ by the DMK and the SEC’s haplessness before the Madras High Court.
Apart from the Dravidian majors, many other parties that dreamed of forming a third front in TN have failed to make a mark. Though the PMK secured a sizable number of posts, others fared poorly.
While DMK’s victory will boost its cadres’ morale ahead of the urban local body polls to be held in a few months, for the AIADMK, it seems tough times are ahead, with VK Sasikala, one-time confidante of former CM J Jayalalithaa, looking to make a political comeback.
