TMC eyeing Tirupur, Avadi and Thanjavur Corporations

The TMC, party sources revealed, might press for Tirupur, Avadi, Thanjavur and possibly Erode Corporations. The party is confident that Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam would allot one of the four corporations to them.

Thanjavur would be the first choice of the party given that it had done substantial groundwork there for the Lok Sabha election in 2019. Vasan’s TMC had unsuccessfully contested Thanjavur, the lone seat allotted to the party in the AIADMK alliance.

“During the Lok Sabha election, we had covered 55 wards of the corporation which fall under the Lok Sabha seat. We have secured around 40,000 votes in the urban limits alone. The groundwork done during the Lok Sabha election and traditional support base of the party in the delta district would be an added advantage,” said a party leader requesting anonymity. Unsurprisingly, Erode Corporation was also on TMC radar. However, the party’s youth wing president M Yuvaraja, who was tipped to be the favourite for the seat in the party, was understood to have expressed disinterest in contesting the Mayoral election.

“He (Yuvaraja) might contest, if Vasan insists. The youth wing secretary is keen on contesting the Assembly election,” the leader added. Vasan would constitute a committee, most likely comprising senor leader BS Gnanadesikan, to negotiate with the AIADMK and coordinate talks with district--level office-bearers of the party shortly. Availability of candidate with the wherewithal and strength of the party was key to selecting the seat.