R. Sundari elected as first mayor of Cuddalore Corporation

Ms. Sundari was elected following drama early on Friday morning, as 11 councillors were whisked away to a beach resort near Puducherry to prevent their voting for her

Amid high drama, R. Sundari of the ruling DMK was elected as the first mayor of the newly-formed Cuddalore Corporation in the indirect elections held on Friday.

Of the 45 councillors, 19 cast their votes in support of the DMK nominee while 12 others cast their votes in support of the DMK’s rebel candidate G. Geetha. One vote was declared invalid.

The AIADMK’s six councillors abstained from voting while seven out of 11 others who were whisked away to a beach resort near Puducherry by the rebel camp failed to turn up for voting. Four of the eleven revel councillors managed to reach Cuddalore and participated in the voting.

Of the 45 wards in the Cuddalore Corporation, the DMK-led front emerged victorious in 34 wards. The DMK’s candidates romped home in 27 wards while its allies, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) emerged victorious in three wards each while the Congress won in one ward.

The Mayor’s election that was predicted to be an easy win for the ruling DMK, which had the support of 36 councillor-elects, including two Independents, witnessed many twists and turns from Thursday after the DMK announced R. Sundari, wife of DMK town secretary Raja, as the Mayoral candidate. The party allotted the Deputy Mayor post to the VCK, which nominated Pa. Tamaraiselvan for the post.

Mr. Raja is said to be a confidante of Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare M.R.K. Panneerselvam.

Sources in the DMK said there was stiff competition between Ms. Sundari and the DMK’s district treasurer Gunasekaran’s wife Geetha, for the post of Mayor. In fact, Ms. Sundari had filed her nomination even before the party announced her candidature in the urban civic polls.