PMK exits AIADMK-led alliance for local body polls, to contest alone

The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), which had aligned with the AIADMK for the 2019 general elections and the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections said that it will be contesting the rural civic body polls to be held in nine districts on October 6 and 9 alone. In a statement, party president GK Mani said that the decision to contest alone was taken unanimously following a virtual meeting of party functionaries held on Tuesday evening.

In the meeting, presided by party founder S Ramadoss and the party's youth wing chief Anbumani Ramadoss, office bearers expressed a view that the party should go it alone keeping in mind “the party’s interests,” according to the statement. “Based on this, a decision was taken unanimously to contest polls all alone for rural local bodies in nine districts,” GK Mani said.

The PMK had fielded candidates in 23 constituencies in the Assembly polls held in Tamil Nadu in 2021, but managed to win only five seats. On September 13, Tamil Nadu State Election Commissioner (SEC) V Palanikumar, announced that polls for rural local bodies would be held in two phases on October 6 and October  9 in the nine reconstituted districts. The filing of nominations will begin on September 15 and conclude on September 22. Further, on September 23, nomination scrutiny will be held. September 25 will be the last date to withdraw the nomination. The voting will take place between 7 am and 6 pm.

The nine districts where elections are to be held are Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupathur, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi. Pending delimitation of territorial wards in these districts following reconstitution, rural local body polls were not conducted in such regions while the same was held in 27 other districts of Tamil Nadu in December 2019.

With PTI inputs