Days after DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin directed party functionaries who had violated the terms of the alliance to resign from their urban civic body posts, some of them heeded to his diktat, while others stayed put.
In the indirect elections held last week to the posts of deputy mayors of Corporations and chairpersons/vice-chairpersons of municipalities and town panchayats, some of the DMK’s allies complained that local functionaries failed to honour the seat- sharing agreement. Instead, the DMK candidates had contested against official candidates of the alliance and defeated them. Mr. Stalin directed such persons to resign from their posts so that the allies could be accommodated.
On Tuesday, Jayaprabha Manivannan, vice-chairperson of the Nellikuppam municipality in Cuddalore district, resigned. However, the DMK’s rebel candidate, Jayanthi Radhakrishnan, who was elected chairperson, refused to resign.
The post of Nellikuppam chairperson was allotted to the VCK. Of the 30 wards, the DMK bagged 13 and its allies five. The AIADMK won in three wards. The PMK and the DMDK bagged one ward each and Independents won in seven wards. However, in the indirect elections, Ms. Jayanthi entered the fray and defeated Ms. Girija Thirumaran of the VCK.
When the election for vice-chairperson was held in the afternoon, Ms. Thirumaran contested, but could poll only six votes as opposed to the 22 votes polled by Ms. Manivannan of the DMK.
Ms. Manivannan’s resignation is expected to pave the way for the ‘election’ of Ms. Thirumaran as vice-chairperson.
Likewise, T. Bhuvaneswari, chairperson of the Puliyur town panchayat in Karur district, and V. Tamizhchelvan, vice- chairperson of the Keeramangalam town panchayat in Pudukottai district, resigned from their posts. They had defeated the nominees of the CPI.
Ms. Bhuvaneswari met the executive officer of the town panchayat and tendered her resignation.
In the 15-member town panchayat council, the DMK had 13 councillors, and the CPI and the BJP one each. The DMK had allotted the post of chairperson to the CPI, but none of the councillors came forward to propose its nominee K. Kalarani during the indirect elections held on March 4. Instead, the DMK members proposed Ms. Bhuvaneswari, who was elected unopposed.
In Keeramangalam, Mr.Tamizhchelvan defeated Muthamil Selvi, the CPI nominee. This triggered a protest by the CPI. As directed by the DMK leadership, Mr. Tamizhchelvan resigned.
Meanwhile, in Chennai, Mr. Stalin made it clear that he would not meet party rebels who contested and won against the official candidates of the DMK and its allies.
The elected representatives of the urban local bodies belonging to the DMK thronged Anna Arivalayam to meet Mr. Stalin when this was conveyed to them. It was announced through loudspeakers that those who won as rebel candidates could not meet the party leader.
