Rural local body polls: AIADMK, DMK in neck and neck race

The ruling AIADMK suffered a setback in the rural local body polls as the DMK was leading in all major district and ward councillor positions in the 27 districts where elections were held.

The counting of votes, which began on Thursday morning, was suspended in Madurai, Tiruvallur, Salem and Thiruvannamalai districts after clashes were reported between DMK and AIADMK workers. According to the latest reports from Tamil Nadu State Election Commission (TNSEC), the DMK alliance has won more than 1,274 panchayat posts of the total 5,090 panchayat union councils while AIADMK alliance recorded a victory in just 1,077 union councils.

In the district council member polls, the fight has been neck and neck between AIADMK and DMK with the ruling party recording victory in 202 seats while DMK winning 191 of the total 515 seats until reports last came in.  Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s Theni district performed better for the AIADMK followed by Dharmapuri, Coimbatore while it was a tough combat between the arch rivals in Tiruppur and Namakkal.  The ruling party also faced a setback in Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s native district of Salem. Other western districts of Erode and Namakkal considered to be a traditional stronghold of AIADMK also witnessed a shift in voting patterns in favour of the DMK. Meanwhile, complaints against SEC poured in when the counting began on Thursday. SEC R Palaniswami said, “There is no truth in allegations of violence. All processes are videographed.” HC directs SEC to file report on counting:

Hearing an urgent plea from the DMK that declaration of results was being deliberately delayed at the local bodies where it performed well, a bench of the Madras HC directed the State Election Commission to ensure that the counting takes place as per the rules prescribed, and directed it to file an affidavit on the manner in which counting, recording of counting through CCTV, declaring results and the request for recounting would be handled. The bench directed the SEC to file the report by 4 pm on Friday. Initially, Justices M Sathyanarayanan and R Hemalatha had refused to take up the matter, citing the new HC rules that prohibit entertaining pleas filed after 2.30 pm. But Chief Justice AP Sahi asked Justices Sathyanarayanan and PD Audikesavalu to hear the DMK plea after court hours.

Santhya Rani, a 21-year-old third year college student from Shoolagiri near Hosur in Krishnagiri district, became the youngest grama panchayat president in the State. Rani had contested as an independent at KN Thotty panchayat in Shoolagiri union near Hosur. She even trounced other contestants from recognised parties to win the toughly contested polls. She bagged 108 votes more by securing a total of 1,056 votes than her rival contestant at the KN Thotty panchayat in Shoolagiri union near Hosur. She is a BBA student and the daughter of Jayasarathy, a former panchayat president of KN Thotty. She  also received her certificate for winning the polls from the election official.

In a first in Tamil Nadu, Riya, a 35-year-old transperson, became a councillor in the Namakkal district on behalf of the DMK. She won by an impressive margin of 950 votes. Of the 14 wards in the Tiruchengode panchayat union, Riya contested for the post of councillor in the second ward, which has 5, 000 votes. Riya said she was elated over her victory and promised to work towards solving civic issues in her locality. “It is not an easy task to be a transperson and win the polls. I will work to provide better roads and drinking water facilities to the people,” she said. On her victory, DMK MP Kanimozhi tweeted, “Transpeople should continue to get such social recognition. The DMK has proved that the party will always be a starting point in sowing such seeds of change.”