As Dindigul Corporation Mayor’s post has been reserved for a woman, sitting Mayor V. Marudha Raj is not contesting in the local body poll, but instead, he has fielded his daughter M. Pon Muthu and son M. Veera Marban alias Prem in 10th and eighth wards respectively.
However, a second chance has given to Deputy Mayor P.G.M. Thulasi Ram to contest again in ward 36. Similarly, 15 sitting All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam councillors – G. Thirumaran (ward 2) S. Surulivel (ward 4) R. Sakthivel (ward 7), M. Nagarajan (ward 15) M. Dhandapani (ward 20), B. Selvamani (ward 22), Vaheedha Iqbal (ward 24), Shyamala Devi (ward 25), R. Ramesh Kumar (ward 26), Dhanalakshmi (ward 34), A. Mohammad Ismail (ward 38), V. Rajendran (ward 40), K. Fathima (ward 42), S. Xavier (ward 46) and R. Kulothungan (ward 47) – have been given a second chance to contest in their wards.
New faces
While 22 of the 48 wards are allotted to women, 32 wards have been offered to new faces.
Sources said Ms. Pon Muthu would be fielded as candidate for Mayor’s post if the AIADMK won a majority of wards.
Meanwhile, the AIADMK candidates, including Mr. Veera Marban and Ms. Pon Muthu filed their nominations on Tuesday afternoon.
They submitted their nomination papers to the returning officer for the corporation. Those who filed their papers on Tuesday included 22 women candidates.
Theni
Forty-nine nominations were filed in Theni district on the second day of filing of nominations on Tuesday, taking the total number of nominations filed so far to 94.
On Tuesday, three candidates filed their papers for village panchayat president posts, 12 candidates for district pancayat ward member posts, 33 for village panchayat ward member posts and one for a town panchayat ward member post.
No one filed papers for municipal councillor and panchayat union ward member posts on the second day.
Election would be held for 1,912 posts in local bodies in the district.
