Chennai: Opposing the Tamil Nadu Government move to abolish direct elections to Chairmen of municipalities and town panchayats, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Monday asked the state administration to reconsider indirection elections to the post as it would encourage “horse-trading”.
In a statement here on Monday, the PMK MP from Dharmapuri said the government’s announcement that posts of Mayor and Chairmen of municipalities and town panchayats would be filled through indirect polls as against the current method of people directly electing them.
“It was the AIADMK government which reverted to direct elections in 2011 after the DMK abolished direct elections in 2006. It is condemnable that the present AIADMK government has taken a stand that is completely contrary to its earlier one,” he said in a statement, adding that the government’s contention that method of elections for all local bodies should be uniform.
Mr Anbumani also said the government should understand that if no party gets majority in municipalities or town panchayats, the indirect election method would lead to “horse trading”. And moreover, the indirect elections would bring in a situation where people would not know whom they are electing to the top post of chairman of a municipality or town panchayat, he said.
