TIRUCHY: In a major sign of what to expect after Congress snapped ties with the DMK, the party councillors in the Kumbakonam Corporation have decided to move a no-confidence motion against the Grand Old Party's Mayor K Saravanan.
Sources said the DMK members have begun steps to unseat the mayor and have taken the matter to the party leadership for formal approval to move a no-confidence motion against the Mayor from Congress, which has switched sides with rival TVK.
The 48-member Kumbakonam Corporation has 38 DMK councillors, while the Congress has only two, yet the DMK handed over the post of Mayor under an alliance agreement. The remaining eight from the Corporation are held by AIADMK, Left parties and independents.
During the 2022 urban local body elections, the DMK had allotted the mayoral post to Congress as part of the alliance arrangement. Following this, Congress councillor K Saravanan, an auto driver, became mayor, while DMK’s Tamilalagan was appointed deputy mayor.
At that time, several DMK councillors opposed handing over the mayoral post to Congress despite the party winning only two wards. The issue was raised with DMK president MK Stalin, who at the time instructed members to honour the alliance agreement and support the Congress mayor.
With Congress now shifting camp to the TVK alliance, the DMK councillors have revived their opposition to the continuation of a Congress mayor with DMK support.
“We have informed the party leadership and are awaiting consent to proceed,” a DMK councillor said. This development is expected to be reflected across the State, as leaders from the Congress who hold positions with DMK's support are expected to be removed or to exit their posts on their own.