Minor discord in alliance over poor allotment of civic head posts to Cong

The rare public display of displeasure by the state Congress against the DMK came a day ahead of the indirect elections to the posts of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of rural local bodies in 27 districts.

The Congress said the party faced the rural local body polls, held in two phases last month, without any agreement right from the start ‘‘but there was no cooperation at the district level.’’

‘‘Of the 27 district panchayat chief posts, not even one, not even that of a vice president has been given to us so far. We regret to inform this is against coalition dharma,” TNCC president KS Alagiri and Congress Legislature Party leader K R Ramasamy said in a joint statement. Same was the case with panchayat union posts where the party has been allotted just two of the 303 posts, they added.

They alleged the ‘‘Congress has been denied opportunity’’ in seats that where even recommended by the DMK leadership apparently to the local level functionaries. In a close contest in polls to rural civic bodies in 27 districts in Tamil Nadu held on December 27 and 30, the opposition DMK and its allies edged out the ruling AIADMK combine to the second spot. The indirect election to the posts of heads of the local bodies are set to be held on Saturday.