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No-trust motion against panchayat chief

By Our Staff Reporter

KOTTAYAM, JUNE 28. The Kumarakom grama panchayat will witness an interesting political drama on Tuesday. The 12-member panchayat has an LDF president, though the UDF has a majority today. The UDF has given notice for a no-confidence motion, but even if all the UDF members vote in favour of the motion, they may fail to pass it.

The 12-member body had an equal number of LDF and UDF members after the last panchayat elections. As the panchayat was reserved for women, A.G. Usha Kumari (CPI) was selected president through draw-of-lots. The vice-presidentship however, went to a Congress representative.

A few months back, one of the LDF members put in his papers as he got a job. The political equation today reads UDF-6, LDF-5. In other words, the UDF motion has every chance to get a majority.

However, on account of the special clauses in the Panchayati Raj Institutions Act, this may not happen. As per the Act, to remove a panchayat president, a no-confidence motion need to get more than 50 per cent of the total strength of the body. As such, to dislodge the president in tomorrow's election, the UDF should get seven votes.

A couple of years back, in the nearby Arpookara panchayat a similar, if not more absurd drama was enacted. There the only person who voted against the no-confidence motion was the president herself. But the Opposition could not remove her as they failed to get the `more than 50 per cent votes' in the 11-member body.

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