The Hindu : Front Page : DMK to contest four Mayor posts

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Wednesday, Sep 27, 2006
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DMK to contest four Mayor posts

Special Correspondent

Congress will contest two; details being worked out at district level

THE BREAK - UP: DMK president and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi announcing the seat-sharing arrangement with the allies for the civic polls, in Chennai on Tuesday . — Photo: PTI

CHENNAI: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam will contest four of the six Mayor posts in the local body elections, according to an understanding reached among Democratic Progressive Alliance allies. The Congress will contest the remaining two.

Announcing this to presspersons at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, DMK president and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said the details of the number of the wards to be contested by the partners were being decided at the district level.

Asked to name the cities, he said that this would be decided only after the conclusion of the polls. "Counting is on October 18. We will take a decision on this before the counting," he said. Asked if the seat sharing was done on percentage basis for each party or on the basis of better chances of victory, Mr. Karunanidhi said: "On the percentage of chances [of winning]."

On the major poll issues, he said: "It's victory and defeat."

On a more serious note, he said the DMK Government had been implementing its poll promises. The people would take note of it and would vote for the combine with confidence. Asked on the possibility of more youth contesting for the DMK, Mr. Karunanidhi said party deputy general secretary M.K. Stalin had said that youth would be preferred. "This is also the view of the DMK leadership."

There are 102 first grade municipalities in the State. The DMK will contest 52 municipal chairperson posts; Congress 25; Pattali Makkal Katchi 12; Communist Party of India (Marxist) eight and CPI five.

The DMK will contest 23 of the 50 chairman posts in third grade municipalities. The Congress will contest 13, PMK six and CPI and CPI (M) four each. Of the 561 town panchayats, the DMK will contest 284 chairman posts while the Congress will contest 134. The PMK will contest 70 president posts while the CPI (M) has been allotted 45 and CPI 28.

The DMK will also contest 185 of the 385 panchayat union chairman posts. The Congress will contest 95, PMK 60; CPI (M) 25 and CPI 20. Of the 29 district panchayat chairman posts, the DMK will contest 12. The Congress will contest seven, PMK five, CPI(M) three and CPI two.

Mr. Karunanidhi said the seats allotted to the DMK also included those to be contested by the Indian Union Muslim League, the Tamil Maanila Desiya League, the All India Forward Bloc (Vallarasu), the MGR Kazhagam, the Uzhavar Uzhaipalar Katchi and the Puratchi Bharatam.

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