All Tamil Nadu civic bodies under its control, DMK nips ‘trouble’ in bud, eases out two mayors

A senior DMK leader said: “The two mayors who resigned failed to take the party councillors along. Complaints had been received against both from councillors and local party leaderships regarding their handling of funds and style of functioning.” The leader said the two were given time to mend their ways, “but they failed, and we couldn’t let the situation get worse”.

Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru, a DMK veteran, was tasked with sorting the issue. Coimbatore Mayor A Kalpana and Tirunelveli Mayor P M Saravanan were both called to Chennai before they were told to step down.

While officially Kalpana cited health issues for her decision to resign, denying any pressure from the party, sources blamed criticism from within the ranks and the alleged interference in her duties by her husband Anandakumar, a DMK district committee member. Despite the party asking the council to resolve the differences before the Lok Sabha elections, the issues reportedly persisted.

Anger was brewing against Saravanan in the Tirunelveli Municipal Corporation on reportedly the same grounds, though he cited family commitments as his reason for resignation. In January, a no-confidence motion was brought against Sarvananan.

“Friction had been evident since he took charge, with allegations against him of ignoring certain wards and mishandling Smart City project funds. There was a point when even DMK councillors held protests and a boycott of corporation functions and council meetings,” said a senior DMK leader from Tirunelveli.

Another leader said the two were given the option of resigning rather than being dismissed as the party wanted “to avoid further complications” because of the matter getting publicised, with the possibility of alleged fund irregularities coming into the open. “It is a message to mayors to not forget their role as elected councillors, first and foremost,” the leader said.

In the local body polls held last in 2022, the DMK had swept the 21 municipal corporations with a 43.59% vote share. It had won 952 of the 1,374 corporation ward councillor seats; 2,360 of the 3,843 municipal ward member seats; and 4,388 of the 7,621 town panchayat ward member seats.

The DMK said a special council meeting will be held on July 8 to approve the resignations and to decide who will hold charge.