DMK rebels stay away, trust vote against Kancheepuram Mayor flops

CHENNAI: The no-confidence motion against Kancheepuram Mayor Mahalakshmi Yuvaraj failed as the councillors, including those who demanded her ouster, did not turn up at the council meeting on Monday.

After the DMK won 30 of the 51 wards in Kancheepuram Corporation, Mahalakshmi Yuvaraj was picked by the party as the Mayor. This led to disgruntlement within the DMK. Soon, many councillors alleged that her husband Yuvaraj was pulling the strings from behind while the Mayor remained a mute spectator. They also blamed her for not initiating development works in their wards.

The matter came to a head a few months ago when 38 councillors met the Corporation Commissioner and Collector demanding the Mayor’s ouster on the ground that she lost the majority. They boycotted council meetings, and the DMK members rejected even senior DMK leader and Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru’s attempts to resolve the issue.

Two weeks ago, the Commissioner announced that a vote of no-confidence motion would be taken against Mayor Mahalakshmi. The vote was scheduled on Monday, and all arrangements were made at the Kancheepuram Corporation. But when Commissioner Senthil Murugan reached the council hall around 9.50 am, none of the councillors, including the Mayor, had turned up.

Sources said the rebel councillors and their family members were taken to resorts on Saturday night itself and were asked to skip the council meeting.

Later, the official announced that the motion failed and added that the ward members would not be able to raise the demand for the next 13 months.

Not amused by the turn of events, Kancheepuram residents alleged that the councillors who were blaming the Mayor for the lack of developmental works in their wards were merely playing a political drama. Had they been serious about the issue, they would have been present in the council meeting and voted against the Mayor, said the public.