Tamil Nadu Election: AIADMK leading in civic polls

The ruling AIADMK has bagged a Mayor's post and is leading in all ten corporations including Chennai as counting of votes polled during the two-phased Tamil Nadu civic polls on October 17 and 19 was taken up today.

The Jayalalithaa-led party has secured more than 2700 posts as per latest official figures with arch rival DMK bagging around 1600 posts.

AIADMK's L Sasikala Pushpa was officially declared elected as the Mayor of Tuticorin, polling over 23,000 votes than her DMK rival, M Pon Initha. Pushpa polled 65,050 votes.

In Chennai, AIADMK's candidate for the post of Mayor S Duraisamy, who had unsuccessfully contested against DMK's M K Stalin in the April 13 Assembly polls, is facing DMK's M Subramanian.

AIADMK is leading in many municipalities and town panchayats.

Polls were held for over 1.3 lakh local bodies including ten corporations.

A Madurai report said AIADMK has won in 35 wards in the city corporation followed by DMK which won in five wards.

CPI-M's M.Arjunan won in Sivaganga municipality. Congress came fourth,after the AIADMK and DMK. Home Minister P Chidambaram was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Sivaganga constituency.

In the 2006 local body polls rocked by allegations of violence and irregularities, DMK managed to win Chennai corporation among others.