MAYILADUTHURAI: A husband-wife duo resigned from their positions in the DMK and the town panchayat after not reportedly being given a chance to contest the poll for the civic body's chairperson post.
V Saraswathi, the councillor of Ward 13 in Tharangambadi town panchayat, resigned from her post, and her husband S Vadivelu resigned as DMK's Tharangambadi town secretary.
Vadivelu said, "I have been part of the DMK for the past 40 years and was its Tharangambadi town secretary for ten years. I have worked earnestly and led several protests for the party as well. My wife was also part of the party for years. She was chairperson from 2001 to 2006 as well as a member of the town panchayat for years. She should have got the chance to contest again. However, district secretary-cum-Poompuhar MLA M Nivetha Murugan has misused his given position. She did not get even the position of vice-chairperson. I am resigning from my post as Tharangambadi town secretary as my wife and I were meted out with unfair treatment."
The indirect elections took place on Saturday. The town panchayat has 18 wards. The DMK and its allies had won in 16 wards. The post of chairperson was reserved for women. Ward 14 councillor V Suguna Sundari from the DMK filed her nomination for the post of chairperson. Ward 5 councillor R Ananthi from the AIADMK also filed her nomination for the post but that was declared void. Sundhari won the election unopposed and became the chairperson.
After the chairperson election, S Vadivelu tried to get a chance to contest for the post of vice-chairperson and allegedly approached Environment Minister Siva V Meyyanathan, who, in turn, directed him to Nivetha Murugan. Vadivelu could not get that chance as well. Ward 12 councillor P Rajenthiran from the DMK filed his nomination for the post of vice-chairperson. He was elected unopposed.
The ward councillor followed her husband and submitted her resignation letter to the executive officer.