Indirect elections for the positions Mayors and Deputy Mayors of Corporations, Chairpersons of Municipalities, and Presidents of Town Panchayats were held across Tamil Nadu on Friday, March 4, and clashes and violence were reported in some parts of the state as in many places, allies turned on their own, and won the posts allocated for the other alliance party.
Fifteen councillors reportedly boycotted the swearing-in ceremony of Chennai Mayor R Priya. These indirect elections were held unopposed in other corporations, including in Trichy, Madurai and Coimbatore. However, scuffles, protests and violence were reported in several Town Panchayats across the state.
In Annavasal Town Panchayat, the AIADMK councilors were given security by the police, but clashes were reported between them and DMK members on Friday afternoon. The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court had ordered Pudukkottai police to continue police protection to the AIADMK ward members who secured the Annavasal town panchayat seat in Pudukkottai district, as they had allegedly faced threat from the DMK members.
As there was a clash between DMK and AIADMK party members, and stones were pelted inside the town panchayat office, police had resorted to lathi charge to control the crowd. Meanwhile, AIADMK Ponnammal was elected unopposed to the town panchayat.
While the Nellikuppam Municipality was allocated to the VCK party, there was a clash between VCK and DMK, when DMK also decided to ask for the seat. Finally, Jayanthi of the DMK was announced as the chairperson, following which the VCK staged protests. VCK and DMK are allies in Tamil Nadu.
However, Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin condemned the clashes and directed party workers, who contested in indirect urban local body polls, and won the posts that were allocated for alliance parties, to immediately resign from the post. Stating that he is saddened by the developments, Stalin asked these party workers to come and meet him once they resign from the posts. “The party workers may have won elections and feels like they have achieved something. But they have made feel cornered in front of our alliance partners,” he said. If the party workers do no resign from their posts, they will be removed from the primary membership of DMK, Stalin said.
DMK had won a massive victory in Chennai in the urban local body elections held for 21 corporations (1,374 wards), 138 municipalities (3,843 wards) and 490 town panchayats (7,621 wards) in the state, on February 19. The 21 corporations are Avadi, Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Erode, Hosur, Kancheepuram, Karur, Kumbakonam, Madurai, Nagercoil, Salem, Sivakasi, Tambaram, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Tiruppur, Thanjavur, Thoothukudi and Vellore. Meanwhile, the offices of Mayor of Chennai and Tambaram (Chengalpattu district) corporations has been reserved for Scheduled Caste women.