SALEM: High drama unfolded as AIADMK lost the union chairman post in the Panamarathupatti panchayat after two of its women councillors voted in favour of the no-confidence motion on Friday. AIADMK functionaries accused arch-rival DMK of abducting its councillors and staged a protest. The councillors, Sangeetha and Poongodi, told media that they were not kidnapped and took part in the meeting on their own.
Panamarathupatti union panchayat has 13 wards. AIADMK had won in 6 wards during the rural local body elections in December 2019 and clenched the panchayat union chairman post.
The DMK captured five and PMK, CPI had one ward each. Following this, Jaganathan was elected as chairman.
DMK councillors moved a no-confidence motion signed by eight councillors in November and the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) issued an order to conduct a meeting. Jaganathan moved Madras High Court against this but his petition was dismissed.
A union meeting was arranged over this on Friday.
Meanwhile, AIADMK MLAs AP Jayasankaran, R Sundararajan, M Rajamuthu and A Nallathambi along with Chairman Jaganathan arrived at Salem Collectorate on Friday morning and staged a dharna claiming DMK cadres kidnapped their party councillors.
As planned, the panchayat union meeting was held on Friday where 10 councillors, including the two “kidnapped” AIADMK cadres participated.
Three other AIADMK councillors did not participate. A resolution was passed against the chairman Jaganathan with a majority of 10.