With the Supreme Court’s deadline of January 27 set to expire in a few days, Tamil Nadu will witness elections to the urban local bodies (ULBs) shortly. There are enough indications to this effect, going by the preparations of political parties and the authorities.
The principal parties — the DMK and the AIADMK — are said to have zeroed in on their likely candidates. The ruling party may go with the same alliance that won the Assembly election in April last, while the AIADMK is, in all likelihood, to retain the BJP as its partner. Some allies of the principal players have begun shortlisting their nominees. “In some districts, we have completed this work,” says A. Gopanna, senior vice-president, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. The BJP has put former Union Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan in charge of the election work, according to M. Chakravarthy, vice-president of the party. Despite drawing a blank in the Assembly election, the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), founded by actor Kamal Haasan, has released two lists of 98 candidates. The others are gearing up for the elections.
