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The reconciliatory talks held by Minister for Finance Thangam Thennarasu, who is also in-charge of Tirunelveli district and the DMK’s affairs here, between Mayor P.M. Sarvanan and the warring councillors on Friday apparently did not yield any positive result.
After the DMK councillors of Tirunelveli Corporation raised a banner of revolt against Mr. Saravanan with ‘sharing of benefits’ being the bone of contention, the councilors met Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru twice to air their grievances. However, their expectations belied and, the rift between the Mayor and the councilors in fact worsened further with the DMK high command showing no sign of reining in to put an end to the standoff.
Consequently, the tumultuous council meetings of Tirunelveli became a laughable meet with the agitating councillors refusing to give their assent for the proposals and the Commissioner for Municipal Administration had to intervene.
After their complaints with Mr. Nehru against the Mayor demanding his dislodging went unheard, the DMK councillors wrote letters to Chief Minister and party president M.K. Stalin and his son and heir apparent Udhayanidhi Stalin on August 18 to press their only demand – ouster of the Mayor.
In the separate complaints addressed to Mr. Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin, the councillors said the “inept and corrupt” administration of Mr. Sarvanan had triggered protests by the public and the Opposition parties in Tirunelveli even though the councilors had appealed to him on several occasions not to bring disrepute to the DMK government through his unethical administration. However, his autocratic attitude and corruption had paralysed the urban civic body’s functioning.
Of the 45 DMK councilors in the 55-member council including Mr. Saravanan, 44 members – 40 DMK members, 2 Congress councilors and the lone members of the CPI (M) and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi – had signed in the complaint. Six members including 5 DMK councilors and a Congress member have not signed in the complaint. The council has 4 AIADMK members.
With the commotion engulfing the Corporation administration, rumours spread like wildfire on Thursday that Mr. Saravanan had submitted his resignation letter to Mr. Stalin. However, it was doused by the Mayor who stoutly denied it.
Hence, Mr. Thangam Thennarasu had come down to Tirunelveli on Friday evening to hold talks with Mr. Saravanan, Deputy Mayor K.R. Raju, chairman of Palayamkottai Zone M. Francis and chairpersons of Tirunelveli Zone C. Maheshwari and Melapalayam Zone Iqlam Fazila, Palayamkottai MLA M. Abdul Wahab and in-charge of DMK’s Tirunelveli central district party affairs and former minister T.P.M. Mohideen Khan on Friday evening.
Chairperson of Thatchanallur zone Revathi did not attend the meeting held in the guesthouse of a private cement factory on the city outskirts.
The meeting that started at 4.30 p.m. lasted for two hours with Mr. Saravanan and others presenting their case.
“Mr. Thangam Thennarasu met all the participants of today’s meeting together and then separately to understand the situation prevailing in the Corporation. Based on his observations, the party high command will take a decision,” a DMK office-bearer here said.
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