No elected civic bodies, councillors to carry out pre-monsoon works

The AIADMK government after the demise of its charismatic leader J Jayalalithaa has been giving one reason after the other delaying the crucial civic polls since October 2016.

“In the absence of an elected council in tier-one cities and municipal areas, this October will be just another month with the special officers clearing the monsoon related files. Local bodies with elected representatives normally play a crucial role during monsoon floods and summer drought,” said Poonga Nagar Selvam, an AIADMK functionary with North Chennai MGR Mandram.

As per Amma’s plan, JCD Prabhakar of AIADMK should have become the Chennai mayor representing the city, but the polls were deferred, and this is a huge set back for the aspiring AIADMK functionaries in Chennai.

But the silver lining is that the municipal officers are executing their job without the intervention of local councillors and their politics.

“This at times is good for the ruling AIADMK,” opined Selvam.

The AIADMK has murdered the democracy by not holding the civic polls for the past four years and our party leader MK Stalin has assured that the DMK will hold the civic polls by next year and we are eagerly waiting for the October 2021 civic polls, said former DMK ward secretary Purushothaman of Choolai.

“There are hardly any signs of holding civic polls. Several former councillors like me are dejected over the delay in conducting polls. This will have an adverse effect in the upcoming general assembly polls,” said a former AIADMK councillor.

The AIADMK leaders not only failed to hold the civic polls in time, but they disappointed their party workers.

Our views insisting the need to strengthen the cadre base and address the party workers grievance are often aired by AIADMK leaders E Madhusudhanan and R Vaithilingam, but the Cabinet ministers hardly address the party issues, a sulking former AIADMK councillor said.

Meanwhile, the municipal officials have begun the electoral roll revision works and are gearing up for the draft voters rolls by the month of November.

The fresh list of revised photo electoral rolls will be released in January 2021 and the same will be used for the May 2021 assembly polls in TN.