Rural local body polls: DMK captures all nine district panchayats

DMK and its allies also likely to win most of the panchayat union chairman posts in indirect elections
DMK president and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin (Photo | EPS)
DMK president and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin (Photo | EPS)

CHENNAI: As expected, the ruling DMK on Friday captured all district panchayats in the nine districts — Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Vellore, Thirupathur, Ranipet, Tenkasi, and Tirunelveli — where elections to rural local bodies were held recently. Candidates of the DMK have won the district panchayat president posts in these districts. Also, the DMK and its allies are likely to win most of the panchayat union chairman posts for which indirect elections were held.

In some places, the indirect elections were postponed due to different reasons, and in some places, DMK candidates won with the support of the AIADMK members, while in some other places, AIADMK candidates won with the support of the DMK members. At a few places, cadre of political parties staged road rokos over issues relating to indirect elections.

AIADMK joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami alleged the DMK had unleashed violence during the indirect elections and postponed the elections in places where the DMK had no chance of winning. He alleged the State Election Commission has been a mute spectator to the unlawful activities of the DMK, and said former minister MR Vijaya Bhaskar has been arrested, and in Tenkasi district, a woman AIADMK councillor was insulted by DMK men. He also warned that legal action would be taken against election officials who failed to act in accordance with the directives of the Madras High Court.

In Tirupattur district, DMK candidate Sangeetha Pari was elected as chairperson of the Alankayam panchayat union with the support of four AIADMK ward members. Two PMK members and one Independent too supported her. Following this, the infighting within the DMK came to the fore when supporters of party MLA from Jolarpettai Devaraj staged a road roko complaining that Kathir Anand MP had acted against his own party by supporting Sangeetha Pari.

In Kancheepuram district, a couple became district panchayat chairman and panchayat union chairperson respectively on Friday. Saraswathi Manoharan has been elected as Kundrathur panchayat union chairperson while her husband Padappadi Manoharan has been elected as Kancheepuram district panchayat chairman.

In Chengalpattu district, another interesting incident took place. In Nedunkundram village panchayat, Vijayalakshmi won in the election in ward no 9. When she came to take the oath on October 20, police personnel arrested her on charges of possessing marijuana and lodged her in Puzhal prison. Against this backdrop, she has been elected unopposed as vice-chairperson of Nedunkundram village panchayat.
In Namakkal district, the indirect election to the post of Erumapatti panchayat union president has been postponed as a sufficient number of elected members did not turn up for the election. Of the 15 members, 10 are AIADMK members and five are from the DMK.

In Ranipet district, indirect election to the post of Nemili panchayat union chairman has been postponed for a week following a court verdict. At Natrampalli in Thirupathur district, the DMK councillor brought the eight newly-elected ward members in cars surrounded by bouncers.

In Villupuram district, the indirect election for the post of panchayat union chairman in Marakkanam has been postponed since two candidates from the DMK contested for the post and there was a wordy duel between the official candidate of the DMK and another person who wished to contest. Since a sufficient number of members did not turn up even after one and a half hours, the election was postponed.

Postponements & protests 
In some places, the indirect elections were postponed due to different reasons, and in some places, DMK candidates won with the support of the AIADMK members. At a few places, cadre of political parties staged road rokos 

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