DMK secures all 15 zonal chairperson posts; only one woman among the 15

The party struggles to get adequate number of women to standing committees too

DMK councillors secured the posts of chairpersons of all 15 zones in the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) in the indirect elections held at the Council Hall on Wednesday.

Though 50% of the councillors elected to the GCC in the urban local bodies elections last month were women thanks to the reservation of seats, only one of the 15 zonal chairpersons elected on Wednesday was a woman.

R. Saritha, the councillor of ward 69, was elected unopposed as the chairperson of zone 6.

With 153 of the 200 councillors belonging to the DMK and another 25 belonging to its allies, the party’s candidates managed to secure 14 of the 15 zonal chairperson posts without contest.

For zone 14 (Perungudi), K.P.K. Sathishkumar of the AIADMK, who is the councillor of ward 182, filed nomination against DMK candidate S.V. Ravichandran, the councillor of ward 184.

The zone has 11 councillors, of whom eight are of the DMK and three of the AIADMK. Though the AIADMK candidate lost, securing just three votes, the election witnessed some drama.

After polling through secret ballot concluded, Mr. Sathishkumar raised objection to counting, alleging that the councillors carried their mobile phones while casting their votes. He argued that some could have taken pictures and that compromised the secrecy of the ballot.