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Second phase of civic elections tomorrow

S. Nadarajan

Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities set to vote

PONDICHERRY: The voters of Pondicherry and Oulgaret municipalities and Villianoor commune panchayat will exercise their franchise in the second phase of civic polls on Tuesday. The elections are significant, as the political destiny of the leading contestants and the future of the political parties sponsoring them are at stake.

The post of chairperson of Pondicherry Municipality is earmarked for women-general category, while it is allotted for open-general category in Oulgaret Municipality. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has fielded Dr. B. Sridevi, following an agreement with the Congress, to the post of chairperson of Pondicherry Municipality. In Oulgaret, the Congress has fielded N.S.J. Jayabal.

The AIADMK has fielded its nominees in both Pondicherry and Oulgaret. Tamizhselvi, wife of party MLA Ohm Sakthi Segar, is the candidate in Pondicherry, while A.M. Krishnamoorthy is contesting from Oulgaret.

The former Education Minister, Renuka Appadurai, is the Puducherry Munnetra Congress nominee for Pondicherry, while S. Bhuvaneswaran alias Bhuvana is its candidate in Oulgaret.

The Pattali Makkal Katchi and the Communist Party of India have remained content with fielding candidates for wards and commune panchayats. Independents are also in the fray for the chairman post in Oulgaret. They include the former Health Minister, V. Pethaperumal, a rebel Congress candidate facing expulsion from the party.

There are 240 contestants for 42 councillor wards in Pondicherry Municipality. With four wards returning their members unopposed (all belong to the ruling Congress), the contest is confined to 33 wards and 183 candidates in Oulgaret.

Extensive campaign

Political parties have attached greater significance to the second phase of polling as could be gauged by the extensive campaign, including door-to-door contact, distribution of pamphlets and cell phone propaganda, undertaken by them.

The CPI(M), which is fighting the elections on its own, has fielded T. Murugan for the chairman's post in Oulgaret in addition to fielding candidates at the ward level.

The voters in both municipalities number about 2.83 lakh.

The Villianoor commune panchayat, having 64,781 voters, will also go to the polls on Tuesday to elect 18 councillors, an equal number of village panchayat presidents and 174 ward members. While 99 candidates are contesting for the councillor posts on party basis, 80 candidates are contesting on non-party basis for the post of village panchayat presidents and 535 for village panchayat ward members. The ten-hour polling begins at 7 a.m. Counting of votes will be taken up on July 3.

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