CHENNAI: Four-time chairman of the Alandur Municipality, R.S. Barathi, was unanimously elected Chairman of the Council of Municipal Chairpersons, at a meeting here on Monday.

The council is a statutory body and chairpersons of all 152 municipalities are members. As many as 124 of the 152 municipal chairmen attended the meeting. Twelve AIADMK municipal chairmen were present.

K. Thennan, Tiruvarur chairman and a long-time associate of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, was named senior vice-president. Mr. Barathi named eight other office-bearers, including representatives from the Congress, the Pattali Makkal Katchi, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Later, the council selected 22 executive members.

The list included three from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Speaking after his election, Mr. Barathi reminded the chairpersons that the council was a body that acted as a pressure group for achieving development objectives of all municipalities. He requested the chairpersons to rise above political affiliations. They had the responsibility of ensuring the development of their municipalities. "We should be the model for the country."

Mr. Barathi said the council had remained free of political influences. "I was chairperson of the council from 1996 to 2001. In 2001, after the AIADMK government came to power, there was a lot of apprehension among chairpersons if I would contest. At the meeting held at Tiruchi, I went up the stage and proposed the name of the Tindivanam chairman, Hirachand. I did this because I was sure that since he belonged to the AIADMK, he would be able to help us with liaison with the government much better."

Between 1996 and 2001, Periyakulam chairman and later PWD Minister, O. Paneerselvam, served as a vice-president of the outfit. Mr. Barathi said this too was made possible because of the cooperation from all council members.

Municipal Administration Commissioner Niranjan Mardi and Joint Commissioner Hitesh Kumar Makwana felicitated the new team.

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