TIRUCHY: At a time when speculations over the mayoral candidate seem to be the order of the day in other city Corporations, Tiruchy has almost decided on who would be at its helm – its erstwhile deputy mayor Mu Anbalagan.
Tuesday's announcement of civic body poll results saw a DMK sweep in Tiruchy city, with the party securing 49 of the total 65 wards. In Ward 27, DMK’s Anbalagan emerged victorious with a winning margin of 4,819 votes. He secured 5,430 votes of the total 7,207 polled.
With the Corporation mayor position breaking the trend and being reserved for a 'general' candidate this time, party cadre stress that Anbalagan would become its first DMK mayor.
Since the start of electoral campaigning, Anbalagan's supporters have addressed him as "mayor".
Anbalagan, who has been associated with the DMK for the past 40 years, is a staunch supporter of KN Nehru, the minister for municipal administration.
Further, between 2001 and 2011, he held the deputy mayor's post. He also contested the 2014 parliamentary election from Tiruchy constituency but lost.
On the other hand, the fight for the deputy mayor position is vigorous with several candidates vying for it. DMK's M Mathivanan, who is a close aide of School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, and T Muthuselvam, who won with the highest vote margin in the city, are considered front runners for the post.
DMK's woman councillor Vijaya Jayaraj is also a significant contender.
Congress party's councillors, too, have a keen eye for the deputy mayor post. Female mayors from the Congress served the city in the past. As this time the DMK is going to fill the position, we should be given the deputy mayor post, argued Congress cadre.
For a long time in the past, the mayor post of Tiruchy Corporation was reserved for women. This had facilitated DMK's long-time partner, the Congress, to secure the position in the coalition.
Accordingly, former mayor and popular Congress leader S Sujatha has emerged the party’s front runner for the deputy mayor post this time.