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Padmalochanan sworn in as Mayor

Staff Reporter

Devaki elected unopposed as district panchayat president

CLOAK OF RESPONSIBILITY: District Collector B. Sreenivas putting on the mayoral robe on new Mayor of Kollam N. Padmalochanan after the swearing- in ceremony at Kollam on Thursday.

KOLLAM: N. Padmalochanan of the CPI(M), representing Kureepuzha South division in the Kollam Corporation, was sworn in as Mayor of Kollam at a function held within the courtyard of Kollam Corporation complex on Thursday afternoon. CPI leader N. Rajan, representing the Mulluvila division, was sworn in as the Deputy Mayor.

Both Mr. Padmalochanan and Mr. Rajan were elected through a contest since the UDF had fielded opponents. Congress leader George D. Kattil, representing the Beach South division contested against Mr. Padmalochanan for the Mayor's post, and CMP leader R. Vijayachandran, representing the Asramam North division, contested against Mr. Rajan. Mr. Padmalochanan and Mr. Rajan received 40 votes each in the 52-member council. The break up being 37 LDF votes, two DIC(K) and one Independent. The UDF candidates received 11 votes each, the break up being 10 votes from the UDF and one from an Independent. The lone PDP member in the council Kollurvila Nazimuddin abstained from voting. Mr. Padmalochanan's name was proposed by Mr. Rajan and seconded by D. Radhakrishnan of the CPI(M). Mr. Rajan's name was proposed by T. Venugopal of the CPI(M) and seconded by O. Rajesh of the RSP. The election process began at the council hall at 12 noon in the presence of District Collector B. Sreenivas.

After the election, the swearing in ceremony was held at a specially erected pandal within the Corporation complex. The District Collector administered the oath of office to Mr. Padmalochanan and the new Mayor was also adorned with the Mayoral robe by the Collector. Then, the Mayor administered the oath to the Deputy Mayor.

Devaki takes over

CPI leader K. Devaki, representing the Thodiyur division in the Kollam district panchayat, and RSP leader C.P. Sudheesh Kumar, representing the Chavara division, were on Thursday elected unopposed as president and vice-president respectively of the Kollam district panchayat.

In the 27-member panchayat committee, the LDF has 26 members and the UDF a lone member.

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