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Phase 1 of rural local body polls in 9 new Tamil Nadu distts begins today
Though political experts say that the trend indicates that the ruling party has an advantage in local polls, DMK leaders are taking all caution, considering the elections as a referendum for the five-month-old government under chief minister M K Stalin.
Chennai: The first phase of the two-phase rural local body polls in Tamil Nadu’s nine newly carved districts will begin on Wednesday, the first elections after the DMK came to power in the state in May.
Though political experts say that the trend indicates that the ruling party has an advantage in local polls, DMK leaders are taking all caution, considering the elections as a referendum for the five-month-old government under chief minister M K Stalin. They are banking on the first-time chief minister’s popularity and several welfare schemes rolled out by the party.
The principal opposition, the AIADMK jointly led by Edappadi Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam, hopes their losing streak doesn’t continue, banking on the legacy of their two-leaves party symbol and their past leaders MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. In a statement released on October 4, the dual leadership said, “Only the AIADMK can give good governance in the local bodies.”
The elections will be held for 27,003 posts, including panchayat presidents and ward councillors, in Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Vellore, Tirupathur, Ranipet, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi. According to the state election commission, 7,659,720 voters are eligible to vote across the two phases. The second phase will be held on October 9.
All political parties and local leaders campaigned until the last day on Monday evening. Stalin hasn’t campaigned in these districts which have been tasked to his ministers, legislators and MPs.
The alliance partners of both the DMK and AIADMK bargained for better share of posts. Congress leaders negotiated with the DMK until the last minute when nominations were closing in September. The Left parties of CPM and CPI are contesting alone in certain districts. But the AIADMK had it tougher. The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) which has been a part of the AIADMK-led NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu announced that they would go it alone, but clarified that they will remain in the alliance. PMK is a caste-based party with its core vote bank being the backward but influential Vanniyar community that is dominant in the northern and western districts of Tamil Nadu. PMK has a stronghold in seven out of the nine districts that are going to polls. The PMK justified its decision by saying that there wasn’t enough time to negotiate for posts and candidates with the AIADMK. The BJP which is contesting along with the AIADMK in most districts has decided to go it alone in Kallakurichi district.
In the southern districts, such as in Tirunelveli, the elections are being conducted in the shadow of caste-based revenge murders. Four beheadings -- two in Tirunelveli and two in Dindigul -- happened within a span of 10 days in September. “The law and order is back to normal now,” said a senior police officer on election duty in Tirunelveli. The voting patterns in these regions are usually based on the caste factor.
More than 15,000 police officers have been deployed across the nine districts for the first phase, according to officials. The results will be announced on October 12.
Political experts say that the trend is for the ruling party to win the rural polls. “The DMK as a ruling party has an upper hand but they are adopting abundant caution,” says political commentator Raveendran Duraisamy. “Congress and other allies of the DMK have no bargaining power but in the case of AIADMK, their allies, PMK and BJP, are playing power politics. I see the PMK and NTK (Naam Tamizhar Katchi) fighting for third place in not just rural body polls but also the urban body polls (which will be conducted later).”
NTK emerged as the third largest party in the assembly elections held in April. Actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam is also contesting in the local polls.
Candidates with disabilities
As many as 43 people with disabilities who belong to an NGO, December 3 Movement, are contesting as independent candidates in the rural local body elections. “This is the first time that a disability rights association has fielded candidates in an organised manner,” said TMN Deepak, founder of December 3 Movement. “Local governance is the first point of contact for people, so grassroots representation and empowerment is important for us.”
