Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Stalin has 15 days to choose between two posts

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI May 10. The Assembly today passed the controversial Bills barring MLAs and MPs from holding key elected posts in local bodies amid protests and a walkout by the entire Opposition, barring the BJP.

The Opposition — the DMK, the PMK, the TMC, the CPI, the CPI(M) and the BJP — said it did have a difference of opinion on the intent of the Bills, moved by the Local Administration Minister, C. Durairaj, and it was unfair to give it retrospective effect. Also, it seemed as if the Bills were aimed at one individual, the Chennai Mayor and MLA, M.K.Stalin. With the passage of the Bill today, Mr. Stalin, who is yet to return from abroad, will have 15 days to choose between the two posts.

The senior TMC leader, S.R.Balasubramaniam, however, does not think so. He warned that the Bills would not stand legal scrutiny as they would be ``Bills of Attainder.'' The Law Minister, D. Jayakumar, said the Act was only ``retroactive'' and not ``retrospective.''

The Bills, amending five existing laws governing local bodies, say that no MLA or MP shall be ``qualified for being elected, and for being'' a Mayor or Deputy Mayor of corporations; chairman, vice-chairman of municipalities and town panchayats; presidents or vice-presidents of panchayats and chairman or vice-chairman of a panchayat union council or of a district council.

The Leader of the Opposition, K.Anbazhagan, said had the Bills been introduced before the local body polls, the motive would not have been called into question.

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