Actors’ guild polls stayed

The Nadigar Sangam elections have run into a wall now. The Tamil Nadu Registrar of Societies under whom all associations and societies operate has stayed the election and the retired judge E. Padmanabhan, who was to oversee a free and fair poll, put out a statement that the poll process has been stopped because of a stay order from the Registrar of Societies (South).

The registrar, citing three key issues in his order, said “in view of the said circumstances, holding elections is unacceptable, and hence, withholding poll process is ordered till such time all the issues are resolved.”

The official, who is also the district registrar (administration), south Chennai, cited a representation from a section of members who alleged they have been removed from the list of eligible voters.  The veracity of their complaint has to be ascertained and the list of eligible voters has to be prepared, he said in his order.  “The list of members pertaining to which year will be the basis for holding elections. This has to be looked into since the membership rolls for 2017-18 is pending consideration with district registrar,” the official said.

The polls had vitiated the atmosphere in the Kollywood film industry with the rival factions going hell for leather against each other in the fight for the plum posts of office-bearers for the next three years.

Stars, directors and technicians who have to work together on the sets in the movie field were divided clearly over who they would support in the polls. So much so, some of the existing main office-bearers like Karthik who is Treasurer are seeing the futility of fighting the polls because of the politics it brings in.

Nasser and Vishal as President and Secretary came to power on the back of serious charges made against those who were running the Sangam earlier. Their three-year reign became controversial ever since they took up the major project of putting up the Nadigar Sangam building that would be the centrepiece of the actors’ guild activities besides generating the revenues that would help the Sangam assist indigent and old artistes.

Isari Ganesh, who was earlier with the ruling group known as Pandavar Ani, changed sides to become the live force behind the Sankaradas Swami Ani that is challenging the current ruling group. The poll campaign of both parties have been intense and although they kept saying that there would be no government interference in the polls, an objection from the police regarding the venue of MGR Janaki College for the polls brought the first touch of uncertainty to the event being held smoothly.

The police pointed out that the venue was unsuitable as the main road was used by VIPs commuting from the nearby CM and ministers’ residences besides those of high court judges. They were requesting the Sangam to shift to an alternate venue like the Arts College in Nandanam, but even as efforts were being made to comply with the police request, the bombshell came from the Registrar of Societies that the poll has been stopped.

Political overtones have to be seen in this as the Registrar of Societies is a government appointee and would be following the advice of the Secretariat in the matter. The film industry in Tamil Nadu is already heavily politicised as many film stars and writers have risen to be champions of the people and become chief ministers of the State.

The incumbent office-bearers are running around trying to fix the issue and conduct the elections soon. Vishal called on the Governor on Wenesday to petition him for conduct of a free and fair poll. Without elected office-bearers, the completion of the dream building might take longer. The Nasser-Vishal team is determined to leave its legacy in a modern building for the association activities and revenue from it.

“Rather than holding polls within the extended time frame approved by the general body, the poll announcement has been made in a delayed manner,” the Registrar’s order said of the postponing of the poll by the current office-bearers whose term had expired in October 2018.  Postponement of polls was for completing construction of the Nadigar Sangam building here, a key assurance made by the incumbent office bearers.