DMK bags 50 out of 75 seats in urban local body by-polls

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has bagged 50 out of 75 seats in the by-elections to urban local bodies.

The break-up of the DMK’s victories in different urban local bodies was: corporation ward – 1; municipal wards – 10; wards in Third Grade Municipalities – 3 and wards in town panchayats – 36.

The DMK’s ally Congress secured one municipal ward and six town panchayat wards. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won two town panchayat wards. The remaining 16 seats – two municipal wards, one third grade municipality ward and 13 town panchayat wards – went to independents.

Of the 75 seats, contests took place in 35 seats, according to an official release of the State Election Commission. The by-elections took place in different parts of the State on Thursday. No nominations were received from eight wards.

As for rural local bodies, the DMK secured two district panchayat wards and the Congress one. The counting for one more seat in Tiruvarur district was still on. Of 32 Panchayat Union wards, there was no contest in 19 wards, which were shared among the DMK (15 seats), Congress (2), the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and independent one each. In 13 wards where the contest took place, the DMK and the Congress bagged five and three respectively. While the Communist Party of India (CPI) secured one seat and other independents won in four.

For the post of village panchayat president, the contest took place in 62 panchayats with no contest in 21. No nominations were filled in 10 panchayats. Of 710 village panchayat wards, there was no contest in 515 wards and no nominations were received in 50. The contest took place in 145 wards. [The elections at the level of village panchayats are organised on non-party basis].