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G. Ramakrishnan elected the new Mayor of Tirunelveli Corporation
Corporation Commissioner N.O. Sukhaputra handed over the winner’s certificate to Mr. Ramakrishnan, who came to the corporation office on his bicycle for the election
G. Ramakrishnan came in his cycle to file nomination for Mayor post
| Photo Credit: A. Shaikmohideen
Councillor of ward 25 G. Ramakrishnan, 58, of DMK, a third-time councillor, who used to go around his ward on his bicycle everyday to meet the residents, has been elected as the Mayor of Tirunelveli Corporation on August 5, 2024 after outgoing Mayor P.M. Saravanan resigned recently due to ‘family issues’.
While Mr. Ramakrishnan, a down-to-earth councillor, bagged 30 of the 54 votes polled in the election held on Monday, August 5, 2024 in the Corporation council hall, his opponent and suspended DMK councillor from ward 6 of the urban civic body, Pavulraj, who was suspended from the party for coordinating the rebels against Mr. Saravanan, managed to get 23 votes, much to the surprise of everyone. One vote became invalid and AIADMK member and former deputy mayor, Ganesan alias P. Jeganathan did not cast his vote.
Corporation Commissioner N.O. Sukhaputra handed over the winner’s certificate to Mr. Ramakrishnan, who came to the corporation office on his bicycle for the election, after the end of the poll.
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Even though Mr. Saravanan cited ‘family issues’ as the reason behind his resignation, it was known that he was forced to demit office by the DMK high command following sustained protests by the councillors, who opposed vehemently the Mayor for refusing to share the ‘benefits’ with them. The councillors’ ‘non-cooperation movement’ against Mr. Saravanan did not die down despite repeated attempts made by Local Administration Minister K.N. Nehru and Minister for Finance Thangam Thennarasu, who is in-charge of party affairs in Tirunelveli district.
Tumultuous tenure ahead
Though the truce was achieved after Mr. Saravanan’s resignation, the election outcome has categorically heralded that Mr. Ramakrishnan’s tenure would also be tumultuous. The 23 votes bagged by a councillor suspended from the party will certainly give sleepless nights to the DMK high command, Mr. Nehru, Mr. Thangam Thennarasu, who came to Tirunelveli on Sunday (August 4) to appease the DMK councillors to accept the ‘official candidate’ Mr. Ramakrishnan.
“When Mr. Nehru addressed on Sunday, the DMK councillors in the presence of Mr. Thangam Thennarasu, Palayamkottai MLA M. Abdul Wahab and former minister T.P.M. Mohideen Khan, who is also in-charge of party’s affairs in Tirunelveli city, he handed over a sealed cover to Mr. Wahab and asked him to read the letter in it. The party high command, without holding any consultation with the councillors here, had handpicked Mr. Ramakrishnan as the Mayoral candidate, which upset everyone of us. Hence, some of us have backed Pavulraj, a dissident, which should send strong signals to our high command,” said a DMK councillor.
Even DMK office-bearers here predict that the ripples caused by the councillors against Mr. Saravanan would not subside even though the urban civic body has got a new head.
“In the 55-member council, DMK has 44 members while enjoying the backing of 7 councillors from electoral allies and AIADMK has only 4 councillors. Of these 44 members, 3 councillors have been suspended from the party for bringing disrepute to the DMK. The first shocker to the DMK high command, the two Ministers who had come to Tirunelveli to appease the councillors, and our party office-bearers here is the nomination filed by a suspended DMK member to take-on the official candidate even as the DMK firmly believed that Mr. Ramakrishnan would get elected unopposed. The second and unforgettable punch unleashed by the councillors is the 23 votes polled in favour of ‘rebellion’ Pavulraj. So, the ‘official candidate’ has won the battle by just 7 votes. So, the poll outcome has unequivocally heralded that turbulent days are ahead for Mr. Ramakrishnan too,” said a DMK office-bearer here.
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