Eyeing civic poll ticket, councillors vie to impress candidates

Trichy: Amid the ongoing campaigns for the assembly election, subtle plans are being put in motion behind the scenes by corporation councillors and potential candidates of the urban local body election due next year to get into the good books of MLAs. Councillors are going the extra mile to secure more votes for their respective candidates to get rewarded by functionaries with tickets to contest the local body elections.Sitting councillors of Trichy corporation are seen welcoming their candidates to their wards in a grand manner. Women dressed in uniform sarees, carrying traditional flowerpots and artists performing traditional dance are deployed by councillors to induce confidence in their candidates. Spouses of female councillors mobilise crowds to appease the candidates as well. "There is a competition going on among councillors in rendering a grand reception during campaigns. With hardly eight months left for the urban local body election, there will be high demand for councillor tickets on the ruling party's side," a corporation councillor said. On May 4, the day of counting votes, parties analyse the pattern of votes polled, noting down areas where more votes were polled and where their performance declined. Based on booth-level votes polled, both DMK and AIADMK will review performance of their councillors and area secretaries. "Getting around 80% of votes polled in each of our wards is the target for this election, it is like an exam for candidates seeking local body tickets. Only good performers will be rewarded, councillors were told to promote projects implemented in their wards," L Rex, president of Congress Trichy urban district unit, said. All sitting councillors are accompanying MLA candidates in their campaign vehicles. "Even during the 2024 parliamentary election, our performance in wards was scrutinised. There is a chance that urban local body elections will be fast-tracked post the assembly election results and clubbed with rural local body election," an AIADMK functionary said. In delta districts where DMK is confident of a win, councillors and ward-level functionaries were scrutinised for their involvement in campaigns to consider them for the local body election ticket.