COIMBATORE: In a setback to the ruling DMK, three Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation councillors — two from the DMK and one from its ally CPI — have quit their parties. The two DMK councillors have since joined the AIADMK.
Apart from them, TA Karunanithi, farmer-president of Thondamuthur town panchayat and a relative of DMK North district secretary Ravi, and Yuvaraj, vice-chairman of Karumathampatti municipality from the Congress, also switched to the AIADMK.
The two DMK defectors are S Rajalakshmi of ward 77 in Selvapuram, and M Rajendran of ward 91 in Sugunapuram. Both wards fall under the Thondamuthur Assembly segment, considered a stronghold of former AIADMK minister SP Velumani. Supporters of the defecting councillors of Coimbatore corporation cited “internal issues with the DMK district in-charge” as the reason for their exit.
Rajendran, who joined the AIADMK on April 21, said he had worked in the DMK for 39 years but felt “sidelined by the newly appointed district in-charge”. “Though I played a strong role against AIADMK, my efforts were not recognised,” he said.
A senior AIADMK functionary said the defections could reshape the corporation council ahead of urban local body polls, expected within a year of the Assembly election.
“After the DMK formed the state government, it drew many people from AIADMK to strengthen its base. That helped DMK and allies win 96 of 100 wards in the 2022 urban local body election, with AIADMK taking three and SDPI one.
However, internal discontent in the DMK, especially in Thondamuthur, has now helped AIADMK boost its ground-level structure. With these two councillors, AIADMK’s strength rises to five.
A few more councillors from Thondamuthur are expected to join, which will play a major role in the upcoming local body election,” he added. Rajendran’s exit is seen as significant because ward 91 covers Kuniyamuthur, where Velumani resides.
He was viewed as a key DMK organiser in the area. CPI councillor D Mohan, who ended his 15-year association with the party, said he was “sidelined by CPI functionaries”. He plans to continue as an independent councilor and decide on future political affiliation closer to the local body polls.
AIADMK insiders said the floor-crossings coincided with the Assembly election schedule. “Defections usually happen in urban local bodies when their elections are expected within a year of Assembly polls. This shifting may help them get tickets from opponents,” they said.
The DMK functionaries said that these defectors had already been sidelined for their poor performances. By joining with the opponents, they can get a seat again to contest in the election. The Anti-Defection Law does not directly apply to the urban local bodies and municipal councillors, who can switch parties whenever they feel the need to do so.