Chennai: The State Election Commission is most likely to announce urban local body elections in Tamilnadu tomorrow. With the formal announcment of the polls, model code of conduct will come into immediate effect, sources said and added the elections will be held in February.
Meanwhile, in a significant decision, the Tamilnadu government has issued orders to reserve the Chennai Mayor post for a woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC). It also reserved the Mayor posts in Tambaram and Avadi Municipal Corporations for a SC (Women) and SC (General) respectively.
The Mayor posts in nine Corporations — Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Erode, Kancheepuram, Karur, Madurai, Sivakasi and Vellore have been reserved for Women (General) candidates.
The mainstream political parties in Tamilnadu have commenced the candidate selection process for the upcoming urban local body polls in the State.
The ruling DMK has deputed senior leaders in different parts of the state to shortlist party candidates from the applicants. Sources said more than 50 to 75 applications have been received for each seat and the final shortlisting will be a cumbersome process. Interview for potential candidates had begun in Chennai, Madurai and a few other places before Pongal itself.
‘People who have submitted applications for contesting the polls for various posts in the corporation, municipalities and town panchayats can participate in the interview,’ Coimbatore east district DMK secretary N Karthik said.
According to State Election Commission officials, elections would be held for 21 corporations, 138 municipalities and 490 town panchayats.
The Bharatiya Janata Party will be contesting in alliance with the AIADMK and this would lead to an interesting political fight in western Tamilnadu.
The possible spread of Omicron variant of the coronavirus is also a matter of concern.