Chennai
The DMK MP was upset with the Kovilpatti union panchayat poll results. According to the DMK leader, the party had 10 councillors overtaking the AIADMK with nine councillors, but the poll officials announced that the AIADMK candidate had won the chairman’s post. “The officials are hand-in-glove with the ruling government and democracy is being taken for granted. The poll officials are not ready for a repoll and the DMK will file an election petition with the Madras High Court,” Kanimozhi told reporters.
Tension also ran high in several districts when polling for the rural local body chairman posts began at 10.30 am. The polls to the Union vice-presidents were also cancelled citing law and order problem by the TNSEC officials.
“The indirect elections were postponed again in some places for lack of quorum (missing of councillors) and law and order problem,” SEC said in a statement. The nodal agency was to fill the 335 vacant posts in civic bodies, but again postponed the polls for the crucial district panchayat chairman, union panchayat chairman posts. Of the 26 vacant posts of the panchayat union president, only 14 posts were filled on Thursday leaving 12 posts vacant again. Of this, the AIADMK won seven seats, leaving four for the DMK. AIADMK’s ally PMK won two panchayat union seats and one independent candidate also emerged victorious. In the case of 41 vacant panchayat union vice-president posts, only 22 posts were filled. In the case of vice president posts, the DMK recorded more victory as the reports came in. Polls to local bodies in rural areas of Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Vellore, Tirupattur, Ranipettai, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts are also postponed and expected alongside urban local elections later.
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