The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Expelled members join DMK

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Thursday, Oct 26, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Expelled members join DMK

Staff Reporter

Party gains two more seats in Council

Chennai : The DMK gained two more seats in the Chennai Corporation Council, with an expelled AIADMK councillor and an expelled MDMK councillor joining the party on Wednesday evening.

The AIADMK expelled T. Subashchandrabose, the candidate who won in ward 26, and S. Bhuvaneswari (ward 1) from the party when they refused to tender their resignations as directed by the high command.

Both councillors took their oaths in the installation ceremony held at Ripon Building on Wednesday.

They told reporters that the party should have commended their hard-won victory but had taken a "hasty decision". They said they would serve as Independent candidates.

However, Mr. Subashchandrabose joined the DMK later in the day. Similarly, the MDMK's lone candidate M. Kanniappan (ward 40) also shifted loyalties when his party dismissed him after the swearing-in ceremony.

The MDMK general secretary Vaiko said in a statement that Mr. Kanniappan was expelled for his failure to resign as directed.

Moment of suspense

There was a moment of suspense at the start of the installation ceremony when Ms. Bhuvaneswari failed to turn up when her name was called. But she arrived about 15 minutes late and took the oath.

AIADMK councillors M. N. Sundaramoorthy (ward 61) and M. Krishnan (ward 71) did not participate in the ceremony, having given in their resignations.

Chennai Corporation Commissioner M. P. Vijayakumar said that only the Mayor could accept the resignations.

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