Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Suspense persists over polls to Corpn. panels, zones

Special Correspondent

Delay in releasing list is due to inability to decide on post allocation among the DPA parties

COIMBATORE: From Wednesday to Saturday, elections to the posts of four zonal chairmen, six Council Standing Committee heads and their members will be held in the Coimbatore Corporation. And suspense persisted even on Tuesday over the sharing of zonal and committee posts among the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) parties.

There are also rumours that the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) may back a Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate for the post of chairman of North Zone if the Left party insists on having it and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), its ally, refuses to part with it. AIADMK sources said on Tuesday that the party was watching the developments closely.

Sources in the AIADMK indicate that such a support may be an option if the DMK, leader of the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA), looks to bag all the posts.

Other than naming its candidate for the post of the Leader of the Opposition, the AIADMK too has not revealed much on what it plans to do. Nothing is clear, the sources say.

Allocation

There is uneasy calm in DMK camp too, according to party sources who indicate there is pressure from some allies for a few key posts. While the announcement of candidates for various posts had been expected at least on Tuesday, delay in releasing the list of names has been attributed to an inability to decide on allocation of the posts among the DPA parties.

A DMK source says that despite the suspense even on Tuesday on the choice of candidates, the party may relent to an ally's demand to avoid embarrassment to the alliance. If an ally contests against the DMK's candidate and with the support of the AIADMK, it will come as the worst blow for the alliance leader, the source says.

Admitting there is some confusion over allocation of zones and committees, the source says this is a sign of talks among the allies remaining inconclusive. DMK members say they too have a valid point when they argue that there is no point in the party winning the maximum number of seats and yet having only a few key posts.

While the choice of candidates for post of the chairman of the South Zone is said to be an internal matter of the DMK, it is not so with regard to North Zone where CPI (M) councillor C. Padmanabhan is also seen as a contender though there is no official confirmation.

If there is a direct confrontation between the allies, the votes of the two councillors of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazgham (DMDK) will be the deciding factor even in the event of the AIADMK voting for the CPI (M).

Of the total 18 wards, the DMK has seven. The AIADMK and CPI (M) have four each.

The DMDK and Congress have two and one respectively.

Combined tally

The AIADMK and CPI (M) have a combined tally of eight and the DMK and Congress have the same number. The DMDK votes become crucial for both sides.

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