Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Dalits in fray in 3 villages

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI March 31. Byelections to 107 vacant seats in the rural bodies, including Keeripatti and Pappapatti panchayats in Madurai district where elections were not held for the past seven years, would be held on April 8.

Besides, bypolls to fill up 38 vacant posts in urban bodies including councillors in two Corporation wards, six municipality wards, 29 town panchayat wards and one town panchayat presidentship, would be conducted on April 8.

The State Election Commission, in a release here said, it was ``happy news'' that thanks to steps taken by the Commission and the State administration, Dalits had come forward to file nominations in the reserved Pappapatti and Keeripatti villages. In Melsathambur village in Namakkal district, where no nominations were filed in the October 2001 panchayat elections, Dalits had entered the fray.

No papers filed for 21 ward member posts Our Madurai Staff Reporter reports:

Four candidates are in the fray for the reserved panchayat president posts of Pappapatti and Keeripatti. No one, however, is contesting for the president post of Nattamangalam.

The Madurai district administration, which released the final list of candidates, said no one had come forward to file nominations for 21 ward member posts in Pappapatti, Keeripatti and Nattamangalam villages.

However, one candidate was elected unopposed for the Chittalankudi village panchayat president post. Of the 40 ward member posts in various village panchayats in the district, 15 were elected unopposed. No nomination was received for 23 wards.

The two ward member posts in Kuruthur and one each in Karupayoorani and Islani villages in the Madurai East union were also declared unopposed.

In Erkudi Achampathu in the Tiruparankundram union, two candidates were elected unopposed while one was elected unopposed in Iravadanallur. One member each was elected unopposed in Kidaripatti and Kuruvithurai in the Melur and Vadipatti unions.

As many as six candidates were elected unopposed for six wards in Chinnapoolampatti in the Kallupatti panchayat union. The other villages that elected ward members without any opposition included Kuppalnatham (1) in the Sedapatti union, Karisalkalampatti (2) and Chithur (1) in the Kallikudi union.

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