Tirunelveli Mayor survives ‘no confidence motion’ ; meeting could not be convened due to lack of quorum

No confidence motion against Tirunelveli Mayor fails due to lack of quorum and last-minute intervention by DMK.

As expected, the no confidence motion moved by 38 Councillors against Mayor P. M. Saravanan in the Tirunelveli Corporation’s special council meeting could not be passed on Friday since Councillors abstained from the meeting following last minute damage control by the DMK high command.

 “As the council meeting did not have sufficient quorum (of 44 Councillors), the special meeting intended to discuss and vote on the no confidence motion could not be conducted. Hence, the motion got defeated,” said Commissioner Thakare Shubham Dnyandeorao on coming out of the council hall.

 Of the 55 members of Tirunelveli Corporation, the DMK has 45 Councillors including Mayor Mr. Saravanan. The ruling party’s electoral allies have six members and the remaining four Councillors are from the AIADMK. The DMK Councillors had difference of opinion with the Mayor on a range of issues including sharing of ‘benefits’, almost all the meetings witnessed heated arguments between Mr. Saravanan and the DMK members, who submitted complaints with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin asking him to remove Mr. Saravanan from the post of Mayor.

 The dissatisfied Councillors then submitted a no confidence motion proposal with Commissioner Thakare Shubham Dnyandeorao on December 6. The Commissioner then announced that a no confidence motion proposal would be taken-up for discussion and voting at a special meeting to be held on January 12.

Minister for Finance and Electricity Thangam Thennarasu rushed to Tirunelveli to pacify the dissents but the DMK members were firm in their decision of removing Mr. Saravanan from the post.  Later, on Thursday, the members were asked to go to Virudhunagar to hold talks with Mr. Thangam Thennarasu, who assured the Councillors that their demands would be fulfilled in “future”. They were then asked to stay overnight in Madurai to avert their possible participation at the council meeting.

On Friday, Mr. Thakare Shubham Dnyandeorao entered the council meeting hall at 11 a.m. and waited for the members till 11.35 a.m. Since the Councillors did not turn up, the Commissioner left the hall saying that the meeting could not be conducted due to lack of quorum.

 “Moreover, the ‘no confidence motion’ against the Mayor cannot be brought again in the council within a year,” he added.