R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, JAN 3
Counting of votes for the rural local bodies which commenced at 8 a.m. on Thursday continued even after 11 p.m. on Friday. Till 11 p.m. on Friday, the DMK and its allies won in 2,330 Panchayat Union Ward Members and AIADMK won in 2,165 places and others bagged 536 places out of the total number of 5,090 posts of Panchayat Union Members. Results of 4 places were not announced till then.
Similarly, the DMK and its allies continued its winning streak in District Panchayats with a tally of 266 places, AIADMK-led alliance has secured victory in 240 places and other candidates have managed to clinch in 2 places out of the total number of 515 members of District Panchayats.
The election, which had been held in two phases on December 27 and 30 was conducted in rural Tamil Nadu to elect 12,524 village panchayat presidents, and 99,324 village panchayat ward members.
Though initial trends on Thursday saw a see-saw battle between DMK and AIADMK, the DMK surged ahead and won in the majority of the places in both Panchayat Unions and District Panchayats.
As of 11 p.m. on Friday, counting of votes for the post of Panchayat Union Ward Member has been completed for 5,086 seats out of 5,090 seats.
Meanwhile, the counting of votes for the post of District Panchayat Ward Member has been completed for 513 posts out of 515 contested posts.
Stalin is running the party 10 times better than Karunanidhi: T.R. Balu
DMK Principal Secretary and parliamentary party leader T.R. Balu heaped praise on MK Stalin today. After meeting the election commissioner regarding the alleged irregularities in the counting process, Balu said Stalin is working tirelessly to make his party sweep the local body polls.
“Our leader lodged a complaint to the election commissioner yesterday regarding the malpractices in the counting centers. He came twice yesterday and I have come today to report the irregularities, but the EC was simply sitting on it. DMK alliance candidates have won in most places, but the EC hasn’t announced them as winners, I don’t understand why they are delaying the results. Counting of votes has been completed in many places like Ramanathapuram, Karur, but the DMK alliance candidates who have emerged victorious, haven’t been provided with the certificate. We have already approached the HC, we will fight for justice. Our leader Stalin has sent a clear message to all our cadres, he is not going to take things lightly. He is emerging as a national leader, the entire country is watching him closely. He is running the party 10 times better than our former leader Karunanidhi,” Balu said.
EPS, OPS greet AIADMK, alliance winners
Meanwhile, in a message to the winning AIADMK and alliance candidates in the local body elections, the party Coordinator O.Panneerselvam and Cocordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami greeted the winners and asked them to strive hard to win in the future elections.
College students to head two panchayats
Two young women have triumphed in the rural local body elections. Winning with a margin of 210 votes in the Kattinaikanthotty village panchayat in Krishnagiri district, 21-year-old J. Sandhiya Rani has become the youngest woman village panchayat president in the state. In Tiruvarur district, R. Subitha, a 22-year-old BBA graduate was elected president of Poosalangudi panchayat in Thiruthuraipoondi union.
Sandhiya, who contested as an independent, is a third year BBA student in a private college at Malur in Karnataka.
Subitha, who was elected the Poosalangudi panchayat president securing 499 votes, had headed several students’ federations during her studies. She was also a member of the All India Students’ Federation (AISF) affiliated to the CPI (M).
72-year-old man dies after being elected as the Panchayat President
Manivel, a 72-year-old individual candidate who was elected as the Panchayat President in Adhanur town in Perambalur district died today due to Ill health. He contested in Auto-rickshaw symbol and secured 962 votes. The unfortunate incident happened just a few hours after he received the certificate from the EC.
