Journalism of Courage
Although the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) secured a landslide victory by capturing all the 21 corporations and grabbing the lion’s share of seats in the municipalities and town panchayats, the BJP sprung a surprise with one of its candidates winning in a ward of the Chennai Corporation. The results of the state urban local body polls, held on February 19 across the state, were declared Tuesday.
Uma Anandhan (66), who contested from ward 134 in the West Mambalam area of the Kodambakkam zone, defeated the Congress candidate by a margin of more than 2,000 votes. Uma had earlier embroiled in a controversy when four years ago she had said in an interview that she is a supporter of Nathuram Godse. The video was shared widely on social media with many condemning her for her remarks.
Speaking to indianexpress.com, Uma said she doesn’t want to dwell upon her past and she is now more focussed to bring welfare schemes to her ward.
“Everyone knows how the people were affected during the rains. Several streets, including the Kuppiah Chetty Street, Subba Reddy Street and Gandhi Street had gone under water. At least 500 ground floor houses are still empty in areas like Jubliee Road and Thambiah Road. During the rains, the sewage water gets mixed with the stagnant rain water and enters the residences of the people. The unhealthy environment also aids mosquitoes to breed, increasing the chances of Filaria. I fear West Mambalam will become the next Kumbakonam. The roads have not been laid out properly and I have to address these issues,” she said.
On the campaigns against her, Uma said she is used to the negativity around her and thanked her opponents for campaigning for her indirectly.
“The counting process for my ward had begun post 3 pm but much before that they (opponents) were saying that I had lost the election. Who has the last laugh now?” she asked.
Uma added she hopes the ruling government will help her in implementing the various welfare schemes she wants to in her ward as “people’s welfare is above political differences”.
In the recently-concluded polls, the BJP won in 22 wards across various corporations, grabbed 56 seats in the municipalities and 230 in the town panchayats. In terms of percentage, BJP has won 1.6 per cent of the wards in the corporations, 1.46 per cent in the municipalities and 3.02 per cent in the town panchayats.
The state’s main Opposition party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, secured a distant second position in many areas. DMK’s allies, such as Congress, Viduthalai Siruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Left parties CPI and CPI(M), managed to win a significant number of seats.
Other players, including TTV Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, which won in 66 wards across the town panchayats, 33 across municipalities and three in the corporations, and Pattali Makkal Katchi, which clinched 73 wards in the town panchayats, 48 in the municipalities and five in the corporations also exhibited a decent performance.
Seeman’s Naam Tamizhar Katchi won in six wards in the town panchayats while actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) failed to open their account.
