People's Democracy

CIVIC POLLS IN TAMIL NADU

CPI(M) Announces Final List

NOW that the process of filing of nominations and withdrawals for local bodies polls has ended in Tamil Nadu on October 5, it is now clear as to who stands where and with whom. These local bodies elections are slated to take place in two phases in the state --- on October 16 and 18.

During the last elections held 5 years back in 1996, there were two major fronts in contest, with a third one consisting of the CPI(M) and the MDMK. Of course there were also other smaller parties that contested independently, apart from a large number of independents.

This time too, after October 5, a similar scene has emerged. If the AIADMK is leading a front consisting of the TMC, CPI and Muslim League, the DMK is leading another front that includes its NDA allies like the BJP, PMK and other smaller parties. The Congress has walked out of the AIADMK-led front and aligned with the P Chidambaram-led group and certain casteist parties like the MTD and NJP. As things stand today, two parties have taken a decision not to have truck with any of these fronts. They are the MDMK and DPI.

It is in this background that the CPI(M) has decided to contest independently. The decision was taken by its state committee in its meeting held at Chennai on October 2.

The CPI(M) had had seat adjustments with the AIADMK-led front in the assembly elections held in May. This time too, it made every possible effort to forge an arrangement with a view to defeating the communal and anti-people NDA combine in the local bodies elections. But the initiative taken by the CPI(M) was not appropriately responded to by the AIADMK till the last minute. It was thus that the CPI(M) took a decision to file nominations for all the seats identified by it in accordance with its organisational strength and voter appeal. Even at this stage, however, the CPI(M) made it public that it was prepared to have a fresh round of discussions with an open mind, in an atmosphere of mutual accommodation, before the deadline for the withdrawal of nominations ends, for allotment of seats in accordance with its organisational strength and voter appeal. But that was not to happen and hence the CPI(M) had to decide to contest alone.

Through a resolution adopted by its state committee meeting, the CPI(M) has made its stand amply clear and appealed to the people of Tamil Nadu to reject the communal and anti-people NDA alliance led by the DMK and the BJP. It also appealed to the people to support the party in all places wherever it is contesting, for it is the CPI(M) that has been in the forefront of struggles of the people throughout. It has also decided to extend support to other candidates, where it is itself not contesting, in keeping with the objective of defeating the NDA combine.

The coming poll is the second one after the three-tier panchayat raj system came into existence. Taking the three tiers together, the number of elected posts is 1,17,966 and, right from a corporation mayor down to the member of a village panchayat ward, the number of contestants will be a minimum three times the number of elected posts. This means that at the least 3 to 4 lakh candidates will be in the fray. The details of the elected posts are given in the table alongside. The situation can be summed up like this.

1) In the state, 29 district panchayat presidents and 384 panchayat union presidents are elected by members of the respective district ward and panchayat union ward on a district/union basis indirectly.

2) For elected posts at the village panchayat level, party symbols are not permitted; all will have to contest on independent symbols only.

3) There is 33 per cent reservation for women and 18 per cent for SCs and 1 per cent for the STs, as allocated by the state election commission.

Despite the Dravidian parties’ opposition to the three-tier panchayat system, Tamil Nadu is one of the states along with West Bengal, Kerala, Tripura, Karnataka, etc, that have been conducting these elections in time.

However, recently, a disturbing trend has raised its head in a few pockets in the south. In some places, posts of village panchayat presidents are being auctioned beforehand in violation of the democratic electoral practice where right to contest and exercise of franchise is universal. Illicit liquor barons and rowdy elements want to sustain their rule at the local level, of course for a price. As a result of this new practice, the highest bidder gets elected unanimously. Though the government denies the existence of such a practice, there has been wide press coverage of such happenings.

Another disturbing practice in some places is that the elected candidates in the reserved constituencies are not permitted to function after elections. In some villages, the elected Dalit presidents were not permitted to enter their panchayat offices after the last elections. What happened a few years back in Melavalavu village is still fresh in public memory.

Also, in many of the village panchayats, there are no furniture, meeting place, record room and other basic infrastructure. While about 50 per cent of the revenue is spent through local bodies in West Bengal for development purposes and the figure ranges from 20 to 40 per cent in Kerala, Karanataka and a few other states, in Tamil Nadu a paltry 8 per cent of the tax revenue has been allocated to the local bodies. During his regime, Karunanidhi had promised in the assembly to progressively increase the allocation by 1 per cent every year, but it was conveniently forgotten. The present government has not spoken anything about augmentation of the funds for local bodies --- through budget or otherwise.

This is the background in which the people are looking upon the CPI(M) to stem this rot and get on to constructive work. The decision of the CPI(M) state committee must be viewed from this angle as well. The moment the decision was announced, it generated a lot of enthusiasm among the party cadres throughout the state. More or less, barring a few withdrawals for technical reasons, party nominees remain in the race in all the seats the party decided to contest.

In the prestigious Madurai corporation, Jothiram is the mayoral candidate of the CPI(M). For the 72 councillor seats, apart from the 59 CPI(M) nominees, 13 party-supported independents are in the fray, making the fight serious and total. In the traditional support pocket of Tiruppur, C Govindasamy, an ex-MLA, is contesting for the chairman post. The CPI(M) is contesting 25 corporation divisions in Coimbatore and 24 in Chennai. In Thanjavur, Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam, the CPI(M) wields considerable influence and is contesting a large number of seats, including the chairmanship in Thiruthuraipoondi.

The party has fielded a large number of women as candidates. Delphin in Kuzhithurai and Mallika in Kovilpatti are notable among them. Numerous cadres at the village panchayat level, though not contesting on the party symbol, are seeking the people’s mandate to undertake the job of rural governance. The party’s contest tally will be like this --- mayor 1 (out of 6), municipal chairmen 22 (out of 102), town panchayat presidents 131 (out of 609) and a substantial number of posts of councillors and ward members.

After the elections take place on October 16 and 18, counting will take place on October 21 and the new bodies will take charge on October 23. There is little enthusiasm in the cadres of the other parties. There are many reasons to it: a lot of division in votes on the basis of extra-party loyalties, role of rebel candidates, probability of victory for certain independents, ever increasing cost of elections, lukewarm help from the party higher-ups, etc. Real issues are getting sidelined in this process and non-issues are being projected instead. The CPI(M)’s decision to contest alone has come as good news in this background and the people have high expectation that the party’s campaign will highlight the real issues facing them.