The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam swept the posts of chairmen of municipalities in the southern suburbs of Chennai.
It also occupied the majority position among councillors too in all but one local body. K. M. R. Nissar Ahmed defeated E. Karunanidhi to become the Pallavaram Municipal Chairman. He secured 37,862 of the 91,912 votes polled, while Mr. Karunanidhi secured 31,503 votes. A total of 24 councillors from the party were also elected, an increase from 5 in the previous council. There were 19 candidates in the fray for the post of Chairman of Pallavaram Municipality. The DMK now has 11 councillors, Pattali Makkal Katchi 2, Independents 2, and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party one each in the 42-member council.
In Tambaram, M.Karikalan of AIADMK became the first Municipal Chairman from the party. He secured 31,642 votes, while his nearest rival Adhi Maran of DMK got 28,807 of the total 75,000 votes polled. E. Mani, the outgoing municipal chairman of Congress could manage only 4,098 votes, lesser than even the 6,599 votes polled by R.G. Khrushchev of DMDK. With 22 councillors, AIADMK has a complete majority in the 39-member council, which also has 10 councillors of the DMK.
In Pammal, only members of recognised parties contested, including AIADMK, DMK, DMDK, PMK, BJP, and Congress, in addition to Puratchi Bharatham, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. C.V.Elangovan of AIADMK emerged triumphant, securing 15,890 of the total votes polled. T.K.Senthil Kumar of DMK came second with 11,744 votes. The AIADMK has 13 councillors and DMK 6 with a councillor each from DMDK and Congress in the 21-member council.
In Anakaputhur, P.Velayudham, an Independent, was elected chairman, securing 9,308 votes of the 22,813 votes polled. He was elected Chairman of Anakaputhur Town Panchyayat in 2001, on the AIADMK ticket. It was subsequently upgraded into a municipality in 2004. In 2006, Bharathi Kumar of Congress was elected chairman and this year, Mr. Velayudham was viewed as a “rebel candidate” of the AIADMK. Raja Duraibabu, the AIADMK candidate, polled 5,664 votes. The DMK has a majority of 9 councillors in the 18-member council followed by seven councillors of the AIADMK and two independents.
