Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

A close fight heading for a tight finish

Special Correspondent

Official candidates face rebels

COIMBATORE: A closely fought elections for the Coimbatore Corporation Council is heading for a tight finish with official candidates not only facing tough rivals but also rebels within same parties.

Candidates have made promises ranging from as basic as drainage to as grandiose as flyovers. Clean administration, speedy implementation of projects and sanitation are common promises.

These assurances have come when the city is at the threshold of a spurt in development that will be brought about by information technology firms set to enter soon. And, also when more than 13-lakh people are upset that many schemes that should have been completed by now are yet to take off.

More than public resentment, the candidates who are contesting for the second or third time are facing problems from within their party in the form of rebels. This is attributed to the shuffle of wards on the basis of reservation for women.

Some of those who have not been able to retain the wards because of the shuffle have entered the fray as rebel candidates such as K.M. Ramadas of Ward 28, who has been Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) councillor for two terms since 1996.

While he has openly entered the contest as an Independent, many others in the DMK have fielded their relatives or close friends in the wards that have eluded them so that the rebellion need not be too open. The DMK and its ally, Congress, seem to be the worst hit by rebels queering the pitch for the official candidates and posing the threat of vote split.

Independent

Former DMK councillor S. Murugan had hoped to get Ward 13 that was denied to him in the 2001 elections. With the ward being given to N. Janaki of the same party, Mr. Murugan and his supporters have put up a law student, P. Suguna, as an Independent.

Calling it his home turf, Mr. Murugan admits that he is openly campaigning for the rebel candidate. Pamphlets brought out for the candidate also openly declares that she is a candidate with the full support of Mr. Murugan who has been sidelined by the party district leaders.

P. Pari, former Minister and present DMK district secretary Pongalur N. Palanisamy's son, contests from Ward 25. Contesting against him is Kattoor Somu, a rebel from the Congress. Though much fewer, there are rebels in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Another interesting instance of allies clashing is in Ward 19 where the candidates of two Left parties are clashing. Communist Party of India's R. Devaraj is contesting from this ward as his original one - Ward 18 - is reserved for women. He faces Arumugham of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Both parties are constituents of the Democratic Progressive Alliance headed by the DMK, which individually contests fewer seats than expected. The explanation offered is that both candidates had filed their nominations among many others because the DPA had not finalised the wards even on the last day for the filing of the papers.

With the symbol letter already having been issued to Mr. Arumugham, he had decided to contest instead of withdrawing his nomination. Most of the frontline parties live through a phase of suspense as the Corporation goes to polls with their ranks at the ward level in disarray over the denial of opportunity to contest. Unfinished projects over the last 10 years of the functioning of the elected Council, including amenities to unapproved layouts and also those meant for infrastructure development across the city will weigh heavily on the minds of the voters when they go to vote.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

A close fight heading for a tight finish
Elaborate security arrangements for election
Holding on to their dear wards
Sainik school entry test
Huge haul of liquor bottles
Refresher courses for teachers
In Coimbatore Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu