CHENNAI: With a few Independent ward member-elects joining the DMK, the ruling party alliance is set to win 137 out of 138 municipalities in the urban local body elections. At the end of counting on Tuesday, out of 138 municipalities, the DMK and its allies crossed a simple majority in 135, the exceptions being Manapparai, Vandavasi and Sengottai municipalities. Vandavasi municipality has 24 wards, of which the DMK alliance won nine seats, while independents secured 10. The AIADMK and PMK won three and two wards respectively.
On Wednesday, six Independent-elects joined the DMK in the presence of Highways Minister EV Velu, thereby increasing the DMK alliance’s strength in the municipality to 15. Similarly, the DMK alliance and the AIADMK won 11 wards each in Manapparai municipality, while Independents won five wards.
A few Independents met minister KN Nehru on Wednesday in Tiruchy. With their support, the DMK is likely to win the chairman and vice-chairman posts in Manapparai too.
However, Sengottai municipality is expected to be headed by the AIADMK chief. Out of 24 wards, AIADMK won 10, while DMK secured seven in Sengottai. The BJP emerged victorious in three, and Independents won two wards.
Even with the support of two Independents, the DMK will not be able to achieve a majority mark of 13 in Sengottai. Hence, out of 138 municipalities, the DMK alliance will win 137, said sources from the DMK.
Of the total 12,818 ward member posts in urban local bodies for which polls were held on February 19, the DMK alliance won 8,757 (68 per cent). The alliance secured more than 50 per cent of ward member posts in all 21 corporations.
With the results for the urban local body elections announced on Tuesday, the first meeting of elected ward members will be held in the respective local bodies on March 2. During the first meeting, the elected members will be administered the oath or affirmation, said official sources from the State Election Commission. The elections for chiefs of local bodies will be held on March 4.
The ward members will elect the mayor and deputy mayor for corporations, chairman and vice-chairman for municipalities, and president and vice-president for town panchayats. The DMK alliance is expected to win 435 to 445 out of 489 town panchayats.
Sengottai to be lone exception
Even with the support of two Independents, the DMK will not be able to achieve the majority mark of 13 in Sengottai. Out of 24 wards, the AIADMK won 10, while the DMK secured seven. The BJP, meanwhile, emerged victorious in three wards, while Independent candidates bagged two wards
