The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has won posts in local bodies here on Sunday in the presence of Collector and Returning Officer M. Ravikumar.
The cadres were doubly happy as this victory was followed by successive defeats of the DMK, both in Lok Sabha polls and local bodies.
R. Ravikumar, ward 11 member, was elected unopposed for the post of chairman in the District Panchayat.
Since no candidate from the Opposition contested against Mr. Ravikumar, he was declared elected unopposed. Now, the district panchayat comprises 16 wards and all these wards are held by the AIADMK men.
Mr. Ravikumar was elected since N. Chinnadurai, former District Panchayat Chairman of the AIADMK, stepped down in January after he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the party high command.
Similarly, the AIADMK won the chairman post of west zone in Tuticorin Corporation.
M. Jayabarathi, AIADMK councillor of ward 38, secured win over G. Anandaraj, DMK councillor of ward 45.
While Ms. Jayabarathi bagged eight votes in her favour, Mr. Anandaraj got only five. The west zone comprises 14 wards — six councillors represent the AIADMK, five are from the DMK and one each from the Congress and the BJP. She was elected in the presence of Tuticorin Corporation Commissioner and Returning Officer V.K. Shanmugam.
For the post of a member of Taxation and Finance Committee in the Corporation, J. Dhanraj, AIADMK councillor of ward 44, won the contest after defeating N. Ravindran, DMK councillor of ward 7.
Mr. Dhanraj scored 35 votes and his opponent Mr. Ravindran got 20 votes. Dr. Shanmugam said among 59 voters, three were absent and one vote was invalid.
