Break with past: City Mayor could be from north Chennai

The new mayor of Greater Chennai is likely to be from north Chennai, breaking the 26-year-old jinx of the capital city. From 1973 to 1996, the Chennai corporation council was under suspension, and when it resumed under the DMK regime in 1996, DMK leader MK Stalin emerged victorious as its Mayor. Stalin occupied the coveted seat from 1996 to 2002, and then the post was administered by deputy mayor Karate R Thiagarajan as in-charge. Both were residents of high profile Teynampet and Adyar in south Chennai.

Then the mayorship of Ma Subramanian and Saidai S Duraisamy lasted for ten years, with both representing the politically active Saidapet, again from South Chennai.

“South Chennai has witnessed infrastructure developments and better civic amenities. If a member from north Chennai is elected as mayor, it will be a boon for the labour-dominated region and the mayor,” said a highly placed source aware of the political developments.

During the colonial era, we had the British as the mayors and it was suspended during the French invasion. And during the days of Madras, the mayors were philanthropists based in posh areas of T Nagar, Mambalam, RA Puram and Santhome, recalled the source adding that the representation from north Chennai was a long pending due at Ripon Buildings, the city civic headquarters.

Meanwhile, confidential sources in the know of the things also hinted that the new woman mayor is likely to be from north Chennai with the DMK district secretaries leaving the option to be decided by the DMK’s top brass comprising the first family. The grapevine from the power corridors is that the new mayor will have the blessings of the party youth wing leader and Chepauk MLA Udayanidhi Stalin. However, there is tough lobbying going among the senior party members to occupy the post of deputy mayor which is a general post, unlike the mayor which is reserved for Dalit woman.