No confidence motion against Tirunelveli Mayor fails

Tirunelveli: Voting for the no-confidence motion moved against DMK Mayor PM Saravana of Tirunelveli Corporation scheduled to be held on Friday, is likely to be deferred as most of the DMK councilors moved the motion against their own party mayor was seen absent to the meeting.

They have been shifted to a secret place after senior DMK minister Thangam Thennarasu intervened in the issue, a DMK functionary said.

Out of the total of 55 wards in the Tirunelveli Corporation, 51 of these seats were won by DMK and its alliance parties in the civic polls held last year. However, a difference of opinion developed between councillors and Mayor PM Saravanan on various issues resulting in ruckus occasionally in the Tirunelveli Corporation council meetings in the past.

With discontent with the Mayor growing, as many as 38 DMK councilors of Tirunelveli corporation have petitioned commissioner Shubham Dnyandeorao Thakare demanding to table the no-confidence motion against their party mayor PM Saravanan. Following this, it was informed that a vote of no confidence against Mayor Saravanan would be held on the 12th, accepting the request of the councillors.

In the meantime, DMK’s Tirunelveli district secretary and State Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu had last week called the DMK Councillors, District Secretary Maiden Khan, MLA Abdul Wahab, and other key administrators at a private hotel in the district for a meeting and warned the mayor and councilors to end this conflict.

He reportedly, told them that bringing a no-confidence motion against Mayor Saravanan will affect DMK’s image in the upcoming parliamentary elections. He also told them “This is tantamount to disobeying the orders of the party leadership.”

During the meeting, the DMK councilors were advised not to participate in the no-confidence motion and to boycott it. It is said that all the DMK councilors went on a trip in two groups after the compromise.

It is believed that none of the DMK councilors will participate in the no-confidence motion. Thus, a motion of no confidence is more likely to fail. If that is the case, Saravanan will continue as the DMK Mayor again if the no-confidence motion fails.