Arrested for ganja peddling, gangster's wife wins VP post

Vijayalakshmi, a gangster’s wife who was arrested by the police for ganja peddling on Wednesday immediately after she was sworn in as councillor, was on Friday elected as the vice-president of Nedunkundram panchayat in Chengalpattu district.

Meanwhile, in Sriperumbudur union in Kancheepuram district, Ellaiammal, another gangster’s wife who contested the post of president with the support of AIADMK, managed to get half of the votes but lost in the draw.

Surya, a history-sheeter from Nedunkundram, is facing more than 50 pending cases in many police stations in the southern suburbs. Surya had joined the BJP before the Assembly election but now he is in prison. His wife Vijayalakshmi contested in the local body election for the 9th ward in Nedunkundram as an independent candidate and was elected unopposed. On Wednesday, after she took oath as the councillor, the Vandalur Otteri police arrested Vijayalakshmi in connection with a ganja peddling case. She was remanded in judicial custody and sent to prison.

Despite this, Vijayalakshmi was nominated as the vice-president of Nedungundram panchayat by Paneer and Balaji on Friday, and the election officer accepted the nomination. Incidentally, of the 15 councillors of the panchayat, she was the only one who was not present when the nomination was taken up on Friday, and she was elected as the vice-president unopposed.

Meanwhile, Eallaiammal, gangster ‘Padappai’ Guna’s wife who was nominated for the chairperson post for Sriperumbudur Panchayat Union managed to get half the votes but eventually lost in the draw that was held to break the tie.

There are 16 councillors in the Sriperumbudur panchayat union, 8 of them belonging to the DMK, 5 from AIADMK, 1 from Congress and the remaining 2 independent councillors. When the election for the post of chairperson was held on Friday, ST Karunanidhi of DMK and Ellaiammal representing AIADMK were in the fray.

Both secured eight votes each, but in the draw that was held, Karunanidhi was elected as the chairperson. However, the controversy is still not over in the ruling party camp, as the DMK was supposed to get 10 votes, including that of the Congress councillor and an independent.