DMK-led DPA scripts yet another victory sweeping civic polls

Chennai, Oct 19 (UNI) The DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu today swept the civic polls, capturing five of the six Corporations and more than 80 municipalities and other Urban and local bodies.

As the counting process, which began yesterday morning, was drawing to a close, the DPA, which had won the May eight Assembly polls, scripted yet another success story, asserting its supremacy in the two phase Local Bodies elections held on October 13 and 15.

With the ruling DMK emerging as the single largest party in all the Corporations, the main Opposition AIADMK finished a distant second, followed by the fledgling Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) of actor-turned politician Vijaykanth. Independents too performed exceedingly well.

Reports received from the districts said, the DMK-led DPA virutally routed its opposition by winning more than 60 to 70 per cent of the wards in Tirunelveli, Salem, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli and Madurai Corporations. The DMK wrested power from the AIADMK in Tirunelveli and Salem.

However, counting in respect of Chennai Corporation, which witnessed large scale booth capturing and violence, would be taken up tomorrow after the High Court cleared the decks yesterday.

The AIADMK moved the court seeking to declare the October 13 polls as null and void and favoured fresh elections with the deployment of paramilitary forces. The Court, however, ordered repoll only in respect of 27 booths, covering 12 of the 155 wards, and allowed counting.

Elections were held to fill up 1.31 lakh posts in rural and urban local bodies. About 18,000 candidates were declared elected unopposed.

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