TN: DMK Allies Set for Historic Victory in Urban Civic Polls

In a massive landslide, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) led alliance leads in the majority of the urban local bodies (ULB) as the counting progresses. As per the latest information available, the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) is leading in all the 21 corporations, 132 of the 138 municipalities and 430 out of the 489 town panchayats which went for polls.

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has suffered another electoral setback, with the party coming at a distant second. The party has lost its traditional strongholds in the western and southern districts.

The DMK and its allies have won decisive mandates in Coimbatore, Salem and Theni districts considered weak links of the party. Chief Minister MK Stalin claimed that the victory is the result of the spectacular works of the DMK government in the last nine months.

The civic bodies where the residences of the AIADMK leaders, Edappadi K Palaniswami in Salem district and O Panner Selvam in Theni district, have been won by the DMK alliance. Adding insult to injury, two victorious candidates of the AIADMK have joined the DMK much ahead of the indirect polls.

CLEAN SWEEP IN CORPORATIONS

The DMK led an alliance, in which the Indian National Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has won a majority in all the 21 corporations, including the prestigious Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).

The results of 1,200 corporation wards are known out of the 1,373 wards, in which the DMK allies are leading/won in 961 wards, and AIADMK has 148 wards. Other parties and independents are leading/won in 90 wards.

As per the results available by 4 pm, the SPA is leading/won 135 of the 200 wards in the GCC. The AIADMK has gained the upper hand in 12 wards, while surprisingly, three independents have secured victory amidst the fight between the major political parties.

The Mayor post of the GCC is reserved for women from scheduled caste communities for the first time. The chief minister MK Stalin and health minister Ma Subramaniam have functioned as the Mayors of the GCC.

In a major setback to the AIADMK, the DMK has romped home in the Coimbatore municipal corporation for the first time in history. The SPA has won or is leading in 62 wards. The BJP, which considers the district its stronghold and has a representative to the assembly, has drawn a blank so far, with 62 of the 100 wards counted.

The AIADMK has badly lost the Thoothukudi and Salem corporations, while the newly formed 11 corporations have voted decisively in favour of the DMK alliance.

MASSIVE MANDATE IN MUNICIPALITIES, TOWN PANCHAYATS

The SPA is set to wipe out the opposition in the municipalities and town panchayats. The SPA leads in 130 of the 138 municipalities and more than 430 of the 489 town panchayats.

The DMK allies have won/led in 2,800 wards of the 3514 municipality wards. The AIADMK is pinning hopes to win 650 wards. In the 7,604 town panchayat wards, the SPA is leading/won in 5090 wards, and the AIADMK is leading in 1171 wards.

The DMK has swept the municipalities and town panchayats in Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Karur, Mayiladuthurai and several other districts.

The defeat of the AIADMK in Coimbatore, Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Dindigul, Theni, Salem and Tiruvannamalai are telling as the party had managed to win a considerable number of seats in the 2021 assembly elections.

In an interaction with the media after the SPA asset to sweep the elections, MK Stalin specifically pointed out the party's victory in the western district, also known as the Kongu region.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which contested in around 45% of the wards, has put up a performance worse than its previous performance in 2011. The BJP has reportedly forfeited deposits in 22 of the 23 wards it contested in Namakkal municipality.

The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), the splinter group of the AIADMK, has won 96 wards and secured a majority in one town panchayat. The Makkal Neethi Maiam, Naam Tamilar Katchi and other minor parties have failed to impact the ULBs.

Several independents, most of whom are rebel candidates from the major parties, have won the elections. The support of these candidates will be crucial in the indirect elections, where there is no clear majority for a single party.