While re-nominating 11 of the 31 outgoing councillors of Tirunelveli Corporation, including Deputy Mayor P. Jeganathan alias Ganesan, for the forthcoming civic polls, the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has denied tickets to the remaining 20 councillors and Mayor E. Bhuvaneshwari.
Mr. Ganesan, who as a deputy mayor, persuaded the owners of private lands to give a portion of their properties for formation of new roads, including the new bus stand – Sarah Tucker College Road, has been fielded again in ward 7.
Interestingly, the AIADMK has even given ticket to the ‘sitting’ councillor of ward 18 P. Dhaneswaran, who defected to the ruling party from Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, recently.
The ruling party has fielded a physician, two engineers, two advocates, a Ph.D.-holder, five postgraduates, eight graduates and a diploma-holder while others do not have higher educational qualification.
Though Ms. Bhuvaneshwari, who was elected unopposed to the coveted post two years ago, was quite confident of getting re-nominated and had expressed desire to contest from wards 39 and 40, she has been denied ticket.
Party sources here said a few ‘controversial cases’ were filed against her in the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court immediately after her assuming office as the Mayor might have prevented the party high command from fielding her again.
Moreover, the rivalry between Ms. Bhuvaneshwari and Mr. Ganesan, which was temporarily settled by the party office-bearers here after it reached the crescendo, too cost her the opportunity, the party men here said.
While giving yet another chance for former chairman of Melapalayam Zone Mr. Haider Ali and Mr. Mohan of Tirunelveli Zone, tickets have been denied to Thatchanallur Zone chairman G. Madhava Ramanujam due to alleged corruption charges and M.C. Rajan of Palayamkottai Zone.
However, Mr. Rajan’s mother and former councillor M. Maniammal has been fielded in ward 15.
Advocate T. Jeni, “on whose initiatives” complaints were filed against Rajya Sabha MP L. Sasikala Pushpa in Tirunelveli City and Thoothukudi by a contractor and two girls respectively, is the party candidate for ward 16.
Rajya Sabha MP Vijila Sathyananth’s elder sister Vennila Jeeva Bharathi, who is being tipped to be the mayoral candidate as the urban civic body’s mayor post has been reserved for ‘Woman (General)’, has been fielded in ward 27 housing educated middle and upper middle class voters.
List of candidates: Ward 1 – A.P. Paulkannan, 2 – S. Subbiah, 3 – M. Sudha, 4 – K. Arumugam, 5 – M. Suresh Kumar, 6 – K. Kalyani, 7 – P. Jeganathan, 8 – G. Thangadurai, 9 – S. Arumugam, 10 – A. Muthulakshmi, 11 – K. Ananathavalli, 12 – V. Prabhu, 13 – N. Angammal, 14 – J. Maria Selvam, 15 – M. Maniammal, 16 – T. Jeni, 17 – R. Murugan, 18 – P. Dhaneswaran, 19. A. Radhakrishnan, 20 – A.B. Classic Bharath.
21 – A.R.R. Beula Sathyanesi, 22 – A. Hasan Jafar Ali, 23 – S. Kavitha Subbu, 24 – R. Divya Yadav, 25. N. Muthulakshmi, 26 – A. Fatima Roselin, 27 – Vennila Jeeva Bharathi, 28 – N. Arumugam, 29 – A. Sarfunisha, 30 – G. Shanmugasundaram, 31 - S.S. Hayath, 32 – Syed Ali Fatima, 33 – A. Thowlath, 34. S.K.A. Haider Ali, 35 – Jasmine Bhanu, 36 – Ahmed Fathu, 37 – Fatima Alima, 38 – S. Nisha Angel, 39 – Palaniyachi Sankarapandian, 40 – M. Chandrasekar.
41 – R. Vasanthakumar, 42 – M. Ganesh, 43. V. Nirmalavathi, 44 – C. Abarubha Kananthini, 45 - M. Jayamala, 46 - V. Sankaralingam, 47 – U. Maheshwari, 48 – P. Ahmed Adam, 49 – A. Ayisha Bhanu, 50 – V. Gandhimathi alias Gayathri, 51 – U. Yasmin Bhanu, 52 – M.K. Abdul Gafoor, 53 – N. Mohan, 54 – S. Ayyappan and 55 – G. Ganesan.
