Rift between DMK, alliance partners over 'snatching' of seats by ruling party candidates in TN local body polls

In order to pacify the alliance partners, Chief Minister M.K Stalin asked the city council leaders, vice-chairmen, mayors and vice-chairmen from the DMK who had won against the coalition party candidates to resign their posts and support the coalition party candidates. Stalin also asked the DMK candidates, who won “in violation” of the alliance terms to meet him in person failing which they would be removed from office.

Chennai: The landslide victory of the ruling DMK in the recently held Urban Local Body elections in Tamil Nadu, winning all the 21 Corporations and 90 per cent seats in Municipalities and Town Panchayats has caused a rift between the DMK and its alliances as a sizable number of DMK functionaries are said to have stopped the coalition party candidates from contesting the elections and ending up winning the elections.

In order to pacify the alliance partners, Chief Minister M.K Stalin asked the city council leaders, vice-chairmen, mayors and vice-chairmen from the DMK who had won against the coalition party candidates to resign their posts and support the coalition party candidates. Stalin also asked the DMK candidates, who won “in violation” of the alliance terms to meet him in person failing which they would be removed from office.

However, a party candidate from Sentharapatti town panchayat in Salem district resented and reprimanded the party leadership over the matter. Talking to ETV Bharat, he said he has been in the DMK for almost 37 years in the municipality. “I have also participated in the protests and demonstrations announced on behalf of the DMK. I ran for town panchayat president in 2001 and 2006, while I contested for vice president when I was a ward councilor. However, the DMK had refused to give me a ticket for contesting the 2006 assembly elections. This is how the DMK has been treating its functionaries,” he added.

Following CM Stalin's rebuke for preventing alliance candidates from contesting the polls, a large number of the DMK candidates, who had won against the coalition party in many places, had resigned from their posts. However, a few DMK candidates had not submitted their resignations. Stalin is reported to have decided that he will take stern action against such candidates.

It has to be seen whether CM Stalin will go ahead with the tough decisions and pacify the alliance partners potentially at the cost of angering the party functionaries. When late former chief minister Jayalalithaa was the AIADMK general secretary, she was very particular about the posts allotted to the coalition parties in the elections. And for Jayalalithaa, ministers and her party cadres kept her word.

Jayalalithaa was the one who fired ministers or party members from the grassroots the next moment if anything went awry. It has to be seen whether Stalin follows suit.