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NT Bureau
Chennai, Jan 19:

        There is some confusion over possible legal hurdles over the resignation of Chennai Corporation Mayor M Subramaniam. Consequently, speculations are rife that recommendations would be made to dissolve the entire Council and fresh elections would be ordered. But of course these are still in the realm of possibility.

        But reflecting these developments, the emergency meeting of the Corporation Council scheduled for today was called off at the last moment.

        The emergency meeting of the Council was convened today to ratify the resignation of Mayor with the Deputy Mayor Sathyabhama set to preside over the proceedings.

        The Ripon Buildings was a centre of anxious moments this morning with party cadre and mediamen gathered in large numbers.

        However, the Deputy Mayor and a majority of Councillors did not show up. With 100 seats lying vacant (after 98 councillors put in their papers), the remaining 55 were expected to take part in today's meeting.

        According to the rules, it was mandatory at least one-third of the total members should be present for a council meet. With 12 Councilors expressing their inability to take part in today's meeting, the Council lacked quorum. As a result , Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhani postponed the emergency meeting of the Corporation Council.

        However sources cited another reason for the meeting being called off.

        It is reported that the Councillors of the ruling party have decided to take a final decision on the resignation of the Mayor after witnessing the developments in the case to be filed by the Councillor Armstrong.

        Legal experts also suggest a few hitches in the resignation of the Mayor. According to the Corporation rules, the Mayor, who quits his post, is not entitled to recontest. Hence it is suggested that the Council might be dissolved to facilitate the re-election of Subramaniam as the Mayor.

        Following the resignation of the Councillors, members of the various committees including finance and taxation, town planning have also resigned. The coming days will decide the fate of the newly-elected Corporation Council.Following the judgment of a Madras High Court Judge cancelling polls in 99 wards of Chennai Municipal Corporation for malpractices, Karunanidhi announced on Wednesday that councillors of the ruling DMK and its allies the Congress, the PMK and the DPI would resign from the 99 wards en masse to face fresh elections.

        As desired by the DMK chief, 98 councillors of the DMK-led alliance in the Chennai Corporation Council, resigned their posts yesterday. With this, 100 seats in the 155-member Council fell vacant (two seats were already vacant). K Armstrong Raj of the Bahujan Samaj Party from Ward 53 was the lone councillor from the list who did not resign. He had stated that he would face the legal battle instead of tendering his resignation.