DMK wins more posts in close indirect election

Election at one union - Vadipatti - was deferred as required number of panchayat union ward members did not turn up for voting

R.Mani megalai, New Panchayat President of Madurai East, celebration with DMK Party cadre in front of Panchayat Union Office in Madurai city on Saturday. : S. James

DMK won the maximum number of seats in the indirect elections of the rural local bodies here on Saturday.

The party bagged the seat for the posts of District Panchayat Chairperson as candidate K. Suryakala won 14 votes out of 23 total wards. Her opponent R. Geetha from AIADMK won 9 votes.

Ms. Suryakala, a DMK member since she was 18, said this was the first time she was contesting in the elections. The contestant from Karuppayurani said that she hailed from a family of farmers for generations. “I have a good understanding of problems faced by farmers and will work for their cause,” she said.

T. Muthuraman of the DMK won the post of District Panchayat Vice-Chairman.

Out of the 13 panchayat unions, the posts of Panchayat Union Chairpersons in six panchayat unions went to DMK and six to AIADMK.

Election at one union - Vadipatti - was deferred as required number of panchayat union ward members did not turn up for voting.

DMK won through contests in Madurai West, Alanganallur, Sedapatti and Tirupparankundram. In Usilampatti and Madurai East, the contestants won unopposed.

Usilampatti panchayat union experienced tension between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. as members of AIADMK blocked the Peraiyur- Usilampatti road and took part in a road roko, seeking the halting of the election. Members of the AIADMK said that DMK candidate Ranjani was involved in unlawful activities and must not become the chairperson. Enraged by her victory, members of the AIADMK threw tables inside the voting room and later took part in a road roko.

A panchayat union ward member from AIADMK, Chellapandi, attempted self-immolation outside the Madurai East Panchayat union office alleging malpractice in the conduct of elections. He also alleged that his fellow member from the union was kidnapped by the opposition.

The following are the panchayat union chairpersons:

A. Panju (Alanganallur); R. Kavitha (Chellampatti); M. Meenakshi (Kallikudi); K. Valarmathi (Kottampatti); R. Manimegalai (Madurai East); P. Veeraragavan (Madurai West); K. Ponnuchamy (Melur); I. Jeyachandran (Sedapatti); P. Shanmugapriya (T. Kallupatti); J. Latha (Tirumangalam), V. Vettaiyan (Tirupparankundram) and Ranjani (Usilampatti).