AIADMK to boycott civic polls

Chennai, Feb 5 (UNI) AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa today announced her party would boycott the repoll ordered for 98 wards in Chennai Corporation.

Addressing the party's General Council here she said the party had already made it clear it would not contest as long as they were conducted by D Chandrasekaran, state Election Commissioner.

Ms Jayalalithaa made the announcement even as the last date for filing of nominations drew to a close this evening. The party won four seats in the October last elections.

While two of the councillors joined the ruling DMK two others resigned their posts on the directive of the party high command protesting against alleged large scale violence during the polls.

Later, the AIADMK General Council adopted a resolution demanding repoll in all 155 wards in Chennai Corporation. It said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Local Administration Minister M K Stalin should resign, owning moral responsibility for the violence and the DMK government should be dismissed.

State Election Commission officials and city police officials should hang their heads in shame for what happened, he added.

UNI