Tamil Nadu urban local body polls: DMK set for clear win, BJP seeks repolling in some booths

Tamil Nadu urban local body Election 2022: Polls were conducted in a single phase for 12,838 posts.

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government in Tamil Nadu is set to sweep the urban local body polls in the state having won most of the wards where polling was held.

DMK party workers holding placards of Party President and Tamil Nadu CM M.K Stalin, celebrate after the party's lead in the local body elections, at the party headquarters, in Chennai.  (PTI)

Elections were conducted in a single phase for 12,838 posts in 21 corporations, 138 municipalities, 490 town panchayats and 649 local urban bodies on February 19, after a gap of 1 years. As many as 57,778 candidates were in the fray and voting was held amid tight security.

According to the latest updates, the MK Stalin-led DMK has won the most number of wards in all three categories- town panchayat, municipality and corporation.

Taking to Twitter, Dayanidhi Maran, the DMK's MP in the Lok Sabha thanked “all the voters for their immense faith and trust.”

In the Greater Chennai Corporation, the DMK has won 133 of the total 200 wards. The AIADMK won 15 while the BJP could only win one.

The DMK also won 50 of the total 60 wards up for polling in Thoothukudi, according to a report by the Indian Express. In Madurai, which has 100 wards, the DMK grabbed 51 seats, while the AIADMK won 10, the Express report added.

The BJP has managed to secure victory in fewer seats this year, besides a defeat in Coimbatore, where it was eyeing a win.

BJP state president K Annamalai accused the DMK of misusing power during the election. “The way DMK conducted state (urban local body) polls on Feb 19 was shameful. Total misuse and abuse of power, along with violence. The BJP is moving to the Madras high court today, with all our complaints and demands of a repoll in specific booths,” Annamalai said.

He also alleged that people were not coming out to exercise their franchise fearing DMK workers standing outside voting areas.

The parties had announced a slew of promises during the poll campaign. The ruling DMK promised a cut of ₹3 per litre in milk prices, fare-free travel for women in town buses and ₹4,000 pandemic relief to people. The AIADMK guaranteed ₹1,000 per month assistance to women family heads, ₹100 subsidy for cooking gas cylinders and a cut in petrol prices among other assurances.