DMK cries foul about local body election results

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has agreed to hear on Friday, a case filed by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) allegations regarding irregularities in results for local body polls in Tamil Nadu.

The DMK president MK Stalin on Thursday had cried foul about the process being adopted for the counting of votes in the local body elections. He said the DMK had won but that the results were not being declared in the Salem constituency, which happens to be that of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, even after the votes had been counted.

He went on to add that three balot boxes were missing from the Salem constituency. It was in this regard that Stalin registered a complaint with the State Election Commission (SEC), alleging that the officials and AIADMK cadres were withholding the results of DMK candidates at the counting centres, particularly in the constituencies of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister.


"On the assurance given by the state Election Commissioner, I won't stage a dharna for now, but will decide next course of action is problems are not addressed as promised," said Stalin.

Justices M Sathyanarayanan and R Hemalatha of Madras High Court agreed to hear the matter on Friday.

Votes for election to rural local bodies in Tamil Nadu began on Thursday morning for the elections that were held on December 27 and 30 in two phases in 27 districts. Votes, however, were cast through ballot papers and not electronic voting machines (EVM). The process is expected to conclude on January 4.

More than 2.31 lakh contestants are contending for 91,975 posts such as Gram Panchayat president, Panchayat Union ward member, Gram Panchayat Ward member, and District Panchayat Union Ward member. In the first phase of polling, 1,546 posts were up for grabs in Mandapam, RS Mangalam, Ramanathapuram, Thirupullani, and Thiruvadanai, while the second phase of the elections was held for 2,144 seats in the areas of Nainargovil, Mudukulathur, Kamudi, Paramakudi, Bogalur, and Kadaladi.