In the Local body elections in Tamil Nadu we contested in 170 places for various posts, from Village Panchayat ward members to Corporation ward members: Pudukottai (34), Kanyakumari (32), Tanjore-Nagappattinam (29), Tiruvallore (15), Tirunelveli (12), Salem (10), Madurai (9), Coimbatore (8), Villupuram (8), Cuddalore(4), Kanchipuram(4), Dindigul(3), Virudunagar(3), Kirshnagiri (1).
Among the 105 Village Panchayat Ward posts we contested, we won at 26 places. We contested in 22 panchayats, for the post of panchayat president, securing nearly 4000 votes in all. We won 2 seats, one from Tiruvallore (at Nerkunram, where a woman candidate has won) and one from Pudukottai (Periyakottai). Apart from these, a woman candidate (a CPIM dissident) supported by us won one panchayat president post from Kanyakumari.
Altogether we contested in 26 Town Panchayat ward member posts, of which we secured 2, one each from Kanyakumari and Dindigul. In two places, one in Kanyakumari (candidate is a leader of fishing community) secured 3984 votes and another one from Pudukkottai, we contested for Town Panchayat President Posts. In Cuddalore district we contested for the post of Virudhachalam Municipal Chairman where we got 366 votes. We contested for 6 Block Council wards, securing between 100 to 600 votes. From Tirunelveli and Salem Corporation we contested 7 Corporation Ward member Posts and secured 550 votes. 31% of the contestants were women.
We won the following seats: at Pudukkottai - one panchayat president post (Periya kottai – reserved, SC post) and 10 panchayat ward members; Kanyakumari - 1 panchayat president (at Nettangode – a woman), 3 panchayat ward members and 2 Town panchayat councilors; Tiruvallore - one panchayat President (Nerkunram- a dalit woman), 3 panchayat ward members; Tanjore-Nagapattinam - 5 panchayat ward members; Dindigul, one TP Councillor and 1 panchayat ward member; Villupuram, 1 panchayat ward member; Tirunelveli - 2 panchayat ward members; Virudhu Nagar - 1 panchayat ward member.
In all, our performance has improved since the last panchayat elections. We secured 26 panchayat ward members (13 in the last elections); 2 panchayat president posts as well as 1 supported by us, while in the last election we won a single post. Whereas the last time we could not get any Town panchayat ward member posts, this time we won three.
