SIVAKASI WEATHER
The Political Race - First Sivakasi Mayor

03-03-2022
Four political novices in race for post of first Sivakasi Mayor

Even as the remarkable victory of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the maiden election to Sivakasi Corporation has started to sink in among the party councilors-elect, the mayor aspirants among them are having sleepless nights.

According to party sources, at least four women candidates had fought the election for the first time in their career with an eye on the seat after the post was reserved for women (general).

All the four are family members of DMK heavyweights in the newly-formed city.

Those in race for the top post are Suriya, 34, daughter of party’s senior most functionary M.A. Chandran; K. Vignesh Priya, 34, wife of party’s town in-charge R.M. Kalirajan; I. Sangeetha, wife of party’s commercial wing functionary Inbam; and R. Renu Nithila, 51, wife of party functionary K. Ramamoorthi.

Sivakasi municipality and Tiruthangal municipality, which have been merged to become Sivakasi Corporation has never been within the reach of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam all these years.

While Tiruthangal had been an AIADMK’s fort for the last four terms, Congress (also Tamil Maanila Congress) had enjoyed good support in Sivakasi till AIADMK conquered it in the last election.

Though Sivakasi elected an MP (Virudhunagar MP B. Manickam Tagore) and MLA (G. Ashokan), a buoyant DMK, post-Assembly elections, chose to keep Sivakasi Corporation with itself. Congress that was given only 12 seats in the 48-seat Corporation managed to win only eight of them.

With all the four candidates claiming their clout with the party higher-ups, the party high command has nipped in the bud a possible intense campaign by the aspirants among the councillors-elect.

Minister for Industries and party’s Virudhunagar West district secretary Thangam Thennarasu had said that the party high command would decide on candidates for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor. “With all four candidates being political novices, the party might want to go with an educated candidate. But three of them are postgraduates making it a tough job,” said a party source.

Besides, the party would weigh in the caste equations – one from Nadar, a dominant caste in the city, two from Mukkulathors and one Naidu – also to zero-in on the Mayor candidate. The party might go for a balancing act with a combination of castes for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor. “Seniority and loyalty to the party could also be a major selection factor,” one of the aspirants said.

- The Hindu

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