Urban local body polls: First popularity test for DMK government

The Nine-month-old DMK government will face its first major popularity test on February 19 when 649 urban local bodies in Tamil Nadu will go to the polls for the first time since 2011.

This is the first state-wide election that is being held in the state after the DMK trounced the AIADMK and stormed to power after a decade.

With the DMK dispensation not amending the law passed in 2016 enabling indirect elections to elect leaders of urban local bodies, elections will be held for 12,838 seats/wards in 21 corporations, 138 municipalities, and 490 town panchayats. The newly-elected members will choose mayors, deputy mayors, chairpersons and deputy chairpersons, and presidents and vice-presidents for corporations, municipalities, and town panchayats.

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While the elections to the ward members will be held in a single phase on February 19, the counting of votes will be taken up on February 22. Almost a fortnight later, the indirect elections for the heads of local bodies will be held on March 4.

For the DMK, the elections to urban local bodies is a “prestige issue” as it hopes to replicate the success of the assembly elections held in April 2021. The DMK feels the party’s sweep in the rural body elections in nine districts in October 2021 and the “popularity” of Chief Minister M K Stalin and his government would come in handy in the elections.

Though the DMK has over half-a-dozen alliance partners, the party is unlikely to part “significant number” of seats to them as it would like to keep a majority of the seats for its cadre. Despite this, the alliance will not face many problems, political analysts said.

On the other hand, the AIADMK, which is still smarting under the assembly election loss, will be utilizing the elections to “show its strength” in its strongholds at least if not across the state. The party believes the tardy distribution of Pongal gift hampers sans financial component and several other issues will help the AIADMK in the election.

Party insiders say many district secretaries, including former ministers, are yet to begin work for the local body elections even as many are busy fighting cases filed against them by the new government.

The AIADMK alliance with BJP is likely to continue for the local body elections, though another partner PMK has walked away from the combine a few months back. As the filing of nominations for the elections begins on Friday, the DMK and AIADMK are busy finalizing candidates for the crucial election.

Prof Ramu Manivannan, Head of the Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Madras, told DH that the results of the local body elections will have a “bigger impact” on the AIADMK and its future than the ruling DMK.

“The DMK is placed in a better position and the party can run through urban areas without any trouble. The ruling party is poised very well. And clearly, it is the DMK that has an edge. As far as the AIADMK alliance is concerned, differences between the AIADMK and BJP will come out in the open as the national party might want to contest more seats in urban areas,” Prof. Manivannan said.

Tamil Nadu Urban Local Body Elections:

Polling Date: February 19, 2021

Counting of votes: February 22, 2021

Elections to elect heads of local bodies by elected members: March 4, 2021

Total seats/wards: 12,838

No of wards in 21 corporations: 1,374

No of wards in 138 municipalities: 3,843

No of wards in 490 town panchayats: 7,621

No of posts for indirect elections: 1,298

No of polling stations: 31,029

No of EVMs to be used: 1,06,121 units

Total No of voters: 2,79,56,754

Male: 1,37,06,793

Female: 1,42,45,637

Transpersons: 4,324