Edappadi K Palaniswami justifies indirect election ordinance for local bodies

Tirunelveli: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami quoted DMK president, M K Stalin’s words to justify the ordinance promulgated to reintroduce indirect mode of election for the heads of urban local bodies in the state.

Arriving at Thoothukudi by air on Thursday evening on his way to Tenkasi, where he is to formally inaugurate the newly-formed Tenkasi district on Friday (Nov 22), Mr. K Palaniswami repeated the words of the present DMK president, M K Stalin in the state Assembly when he was the Local administration minister in June 2006 that “indirect election for the mayor and municipal chairman posts in the Urban local bodies would help for better accountability and collective responsibility of the elected council.”

Mr. Palaniswami, quoting Stalin further, said as opposition leader the latter now criticises the indirect election for top posts of urban local bodies, mentioning two examples at Virudhachalam municipal council and Vilupuram municipal council, where the council could not function well, as the chairpersons of both the municipalities in 2006 did not enjoy the support of majority members of the council.

“Is it that whatever the DMK president says is right and we say is wrong?' Palaniswami retorted to the media adding that the DMK has been criticising the government for anything and everything out fear of losing people’s mandate again in the local body elections.

The “local bodies elections cannot be stopped by any legal means as the Supreme court has given a clear verdict for the conduct of the elections in the state,” clarified Mr. Palaniswami, adding, that the AIADMK alliance in the state is intact and appreciated the former union minister and BJP leader, Pon Radhakrishnan for supporting the state government’s ordinance for conducting indirect election for the mayor and municipal chairman posts.

Brushing aside the statement of actor Rajinikanth that miracles will happen in 2021 in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Palaniswami commented, “let him come into politics first.”

“It is certain that the AIADMK will gain a massive victory in 2021 assembly election too,” said the co-coordinator of the AIADMK.