CHENNAI: The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance registered a landslide victory in the urban local bodies election on Tuesday, emerging victorious in all 21 corporations. The alliance has crossed the simple majority mark of 50 per cent of ward member posts in 130 municipalities as well as 350 town panchayats. Polls to the 138 municipalities, 489 town panchayats, 21 corporations were held on February 19. In the last urban civic polls, held in 2011, the then ruling AIADMK won in all 10 corporations.
Of the 1,373 wards in 21 corporations, results were available for 13,67 as of 9pm. While the DMI alliance won in 1,100 wards, the AIADMK won in 164. In the 3824 wards across 138 municipalities, the ruling alliance secured 2,666 or 70 percent of the wards and is expected to secure 110 to 120 of the chairperson posts.
Similarly, candidates of the alliance won 5009 (65%) ward member posts out of the 7621 for which results were declared at 9pm. The AIADMK won in 368 and 1,206 wards in municipalities and town panchayats respectively.
The BJP, which contested on its own won in 16 Corporation wards, 56 municipality wards and 230 town panchayat wards. Similarly, DMDK won 12 ward member posts in municipalities and 23 in town panchayats. The NTK managed to win six town panchayat wards - five in Kanniyakumari district and one in Tenkasi district. However, the actor Kamal Haasan’s MNM failed to win in any ward.
Significantly, the DMK alliance has won a majority of ward member posts in the AIADMK's traditional stronghold in the State's western region, including in Coimbatore, Erode and Tiruppur. . In the 2021 Assembly elections, the alliance lost all 10 seats in Coimbatore to the AIADMK alliance, which included the BJP.
Similarly, the DMK’s victory in Theni and Ramanathapuram districts too assumed significance as these districts have usually favoured the AIADMK during Assembly elections. The DMK also won the Nagercoil Corporation in Kanniyakumari, one of the few districts in which the BJP has a base.
Commenting on the election results, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday said the outcome of the elections stands testament to the Dravidian model of ruling adopted by the government for the last nine months. “We are not arrogant because of the victory. I realised that my responsibility has now increased. I will work hard to protect the faith people instilled on me,” said Stalin.
The post of Chennai mayor was last held by DMK between 2006 and 2011. The present minister of Health and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian represented DMK in Corporation.
The 21 corporations are Chennai, Tambaram, Avadi, Vellore, Erode, Cuddalore, Karur, Nagercoil, Kancheepuram, Coimbatore, Hosur, Salem, Thanjavur, Dindigul, Tiruchy, Tirunelveli, Tiruppur, Madurai, Thoothukudi, Kumbakonam and Virudhunagar