NAGAPATTINAM /MAYILADUTHURAI: Tension prevailed in Thalaignayiru town panchayat on Friday as DMK cadre protested against the indirect elections. Meanwhile, independent candidates came together and elected two Muslim women in Thittacherri as chairperson and vice-chairperson against a DMK candidate.
The Thalaignayiru town panchayat has 15 wards. DMK had won 7 and AIADMK 8, leading to speculation that AIADMK candidate would be chairperson.
Ward 3 councillor R Muthulakshmi from DMK and ward 6 councillor P Senthamizhselvi from AIADMK filed their nomination on Friday. According to sources, one of the councillors allegedly snatched a couple of votes and tried to damage them, and the counting was stopped.
Melee ensued inside and outside the town panchayat office as several DMK cadre tried to barge inside. Police personnel stopped them. A scuffle broke out between the DMK cadre and the police. Nagapattinam SP G Jawahar stepped up the security.
The officials decided to go for a re-polling, but DMK councillors boycotted the re-poll. All the AIADMK councillors voted Senthamizhselvi to victory and made her chairperson.
Later during the day, polls took place for the post of vice-chairperson. Ward 16 councillor P Madhavan from DMK and ward 8 councillor M Kathiravan from AIADMK contested. All 15 votes were taken into account. Madhavan received seven votes and Kathiravan eight.
Indirect elections took place in the Thittacherri town panchayat, which has 15 wards. DMK and its allies had won 6, AIADMK had won one and independents eight.
On Wednesday, ward councillor and lone winner from AIADMK K Kasthuri switched camps and joined the DMK shortly after taking oath. The overall number of DMK councillors rose to seven. However, it did not prove enough as independent candidates voted two people among them to the post of chairperson and vice-chairperson.
Ward 10 councillor M Fathima Parveen from DMK filed her nomination for the post of chairperson. Ward 2 councillor and independent candidate A Ayesha Siddiqa filed her nomination as well. Fathima Parveen received seven votes while Ayesha Siddiqa received eight votes and was declared chairperson of Thittacherri town panchayat.
The shock did not end there for the DMK camp. MMK candidate and ward 3 councillor M Sultan Rithavudeen filed his nomination on behalf of the DMK camp for the post of vice-chairperson. Ward 8 councillor and independent candidate M Nargis Bhanu also filed her nomination for the post. Sultan Rithavudeen received seven votes while Nargis Bhanu received eight and declared vice-chairperson.
In Velankanni town panchayat office which has 15 wards, DMK won 12. Ward 6 councillor A Dyana Sharmila of the DMK filed her nomination for the post of chairperson and ward 3 councillor of the DMK A Thomas Alva Edison filed his nomination for the post of vice-chairperson. They were elected unopposed.
Indirect elections took place in the Kilvelur town panchayat which has 15 wards. DMK had earlier won 10 and ward 11 councillor M Rasathi filed her nomination for the post of chairperson. She was the party's official candidate. Ward 15 councillor Indira Gandhi, who is also from DMK, filed his nomination for the post. Rasathi received seven votes while Indira Gandhi received eight votes. Indira Gandhi was declared the winner.
Elections for the post of vice-chairperson was cancelled after around eight ward councillors did not show up for the polls.
In Tharangambadi town panchayat, which has 18 wards, the DMK and its allies had won 16 wards. Ward 14 councillor V Suguna Sundari from the party filed her
nomination for the post of chairperson. Ward 5 councillor R Ananthi of the AIADMK also filed her nomination for the post, but it was declared void as she had none to propose her name. Suguna Sundhari won unopposed and became chairperson.
Ward 12 councillor P Rajenthiran from DMK filed his nomination for the post of vice-chairperson and was elected unopposed.
Indirect elections took place in the Vaitheeswarankoil town panchayat, which has 15 wards.
DMK and its allies had won 10 wards. Ward 6 councillor Poongodi Alexander from DMK filed her nomination for the post of chairperson. Ward 9 councillor R Karthikeyan from AIADMK also filed his nomination for the post. Poongodi Alexander received 11 votes while Karthikeyan received four votes. Poongodi was declared the winner. Ward 3 councillor M Anbuchezhiyan from DMK filed his nomination for the post of vice-chairperson. Ward 1 councillor K Priyanka from AIADMK also filed her nomination for the post. Anbuchezhiyan received 11 votes while Priyanka received four votes.
In Kuthalam town panchayat which has 15 wards, DMK and its allies had earlier won 10 wards. Ward 9 councillor M Sangeetha of the DMK filed her nomination for the post of chairperson. Ward 5 councillor S Kalyani of the AIADMK also filed her nomination. Sangeetha received 12 votes while Kalyani received three.
Sangeetha was declared chairperson of Kuthalam town panchayat. Ward 2 councillor M Samsudeen from DMK filed his nomination for the post of vice-chairperson and was elected unopposed.
Indirect elections took place in the Manalmedu town panchayat office, which has 15 wards and DMK had won 10 of them. Ward 1 councillor A Kanmani from DMK filed her nomination for the post of chairperson. Ward 10 councillor C Madhanasivaraj from AIADMK also filed his nomination. Kanmani received 10 votes while Madhanasivaraj received five.
Ward 7 councillor R Subramaniyan from DMK filed his nomination for the post of vice-chairperson. Ward 2 councillor S Selvi from AIADMK also filed her nomination. Subramaniyan received 11 votes while Selvi received five votes.