Amidst stiff resistance from the entire opposition, Tamil Nadu government on Monday introduced two controversial bills in the assembly, seeking to disqualify MPs and MLAs from contesting or holding posts of chief or deputy chief of civic bodies, a move which would force DMK legislator and Chennai mayor M K Stalin to retain only one of the posts. The opposition came out against the bills at the introduction stage itself, describing them as politically motivated and aimed at an individual. Introducing the bills, local administration minister C Dorairaj said that MPs and MLAs, who are also holding the posts of chief or deputy chief of local bodies, would automatically cease to be heads of civic bodies if they did not quit their legislature posts within 15 days of the bills becoming laws.
Stalin told reporters after the bills were introduced in the assembly that the measure was aimed at him. The DMK leader said that he had become an eye sore for the government after he was elected mayor of Chennai for a second term last year, despite the ruling party's desparate efforts to defeat him.
Asked which post would he prefer to retain, Stalin said that he would go by the party high command's decision.
Opposing the bills, leaders of DMK, TMC, PMK, Congress, CPI-M, CPI and the BJP told the house that though the concept of one man one post was noble, it should have been brought ahead of the last civic polls. Giving the bills retrospective effect was a retrogade step, they contended.

The bills seek to amend the rural and urban local bodies acts of Tamil Nadu respectively.
Bureau Report