CHENNAI: Will the Corporation Council meet as scheduled?

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on May 21, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/will-the-corporation-council-meet-as-scheduled/276328.html

CHENNAI: As the Kalaignar Karunanidhi-led government has been voted out of power in the recent state Assembly elections, the future of the DMK-led Chennai Corporation Council now hangs in balance.

More importantly, now questions have been raised whether the monthly Council meeting of the historic civic body, which has been scheduled for May 31, would be held as scheduled.

Besides, the DMK-majority council now has an ‘ethical dilemma’ over the congratulatory resolution to be adopted in the meeting for the new government, which has been formed by their arch rival — AIADMK.

It’s a customary practice of the local bodies in the state to go on record by adopting a congratulatory resolution for the new government to show their allegiance towards them.

According to sources, soon after the model code of conduct was lifted on May 15, the civic body’s Council Department began preparations for conducting the meeting on the request of the Mayor M Subramanian.

However, given the new political scenario, a decision on conducting the meeting (after two months) has not been taken yet, sources in the Corporation told City Express.

Now, the equations within the House is also rather murky. While Mayor Subramanian will not be interested in moving a resolution congratulating Jayalalithaa for winning the election, the Council may provide a tacit support to such a resolution moved by any of the three Left corporators or the four DMDK councillors.

It is also reliably learnt that the Congress party, which is the Opposition at the Council, may move such a resolution, especially after their party leader Sonia Gandhi herself greeted Jayalalithaa over the phone and even invited her for a tea party.

It is also rumoured that all the 14 AIADMK MLAs elected from the city (two seats were won by DMK) are expected to attend the May 31 Council meeting to observe the proceedings.It may be noted that the last council meeting was held in February, when the annual budget was presented.Though it has been a mandatory practice for the civic body to conduct its Council meeting every month, there were no meetings in March and April due to the election model code of conduct.