The Hindu : Front Page : New leadership assumes charge in local bodies

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Friday, Oct 07, 2005

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Front Page

New leadership assumes charge in local bodies

Special Correspondent

Confusion in some places, surprises in others

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amidst confusion in some places and a few surprises in others, a new leadership, one-third of them women, took over the reins of administration in the local bodies in Kerala on Thursday. With this, the election process involving 999 grama panchayats, 152 block panchayats, 52 municipalities and five corporations has been more or less completed.

In keeping with the nature of the verdict in the polls held on September 24 and 26, the election of office-bearers in most of the local bodies turned out to be a smooth affair, but there were also places where confusion marked the transition of power.

In Neyyattinkara and Palakkad municipalities elections to the post of chairman could not be held following political one-upmanship by the rival formations in the fray.

Pathanamthitta municipality threw up a surprise when the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front wrested power from the United Democratic Front in the 29-member municipal council for the first time in its 27-year history. Amrutham Gopalan, a CPI(M) nominee, was elected the municipal chairperson through draw of lots after the UDF and the LDF were tied in the voting. In Thiruvalla municipality, the draw of lots favoured the UDF. The UDF wrested control of the Kottayam municipality, thanks to a vote in its favour from a DIC(K) dissident.

In Neyyattinkara, the election could not be held as the LDF members boycotted the proceedings. The election would now be held on Friday morning. In Palakkad too, the new chairman could not be elected as the UDF chose not to field anyone to the post, the BJP chose to boycott the proceedings and the LDF kept a studied silence when called upon by the returning officer to field its candidate for the top post. The BJP, with the largest contingent of 17 councillors in the 50-member municipality, scored a major political point by winning the vice-chairman post defeating the LDF nominee by a margin of two votes (17-15). The two sides had equal strength, but two LDF votes went invalid. The State Election Commission has decided to give one more chance to the councillors to elect a new chairman within the next fortnight.

A vast majority of the local bodies would be guided in the coming years by nominees of the CPI(M), including all the five corporations and eight out of the 14 district panchayats. The new mayors are C. Jayan Babu (Thiruvananthapuram), N. Padmalochanan (Kollam), Mercy Williams (Kochi), R. Bindu (Thrissur) and M. Bhaskaran (Kozhikode). The district panchayat presidents belonging to the CPI(M) are Anavoor Nagappan (Thiruvananthapuram), A. Santhakumari (Pathanamthitta), R. Nazar (Alappuzha), P. S. Shyla (Ernakulam), Subaida Ishaq (Palakkad), K. P. Kunhahamed Kutty (Kozhikode), K. K. Narayanan (Kannur) and M. V. Balakrishnan (Kasaragod).

The CPI has two district panchayat presidents, K. Devaki in Kollam and K. Sreekumar in Thrissur. C. M. Sarasamma of Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) would hold the Wayanad district panchayat president post for one year under an arrangement worked out by the LDF and the DIC(K). Kerala Congress (J) nominee Sheela Stephen is the new Idukki district panchayat president.

The Kerala Congress (M) nominee Thomas Kunnappally is the new Kottayam district panchayat president . The office-bearers' elections did leave some bad blood behind with the CPI not being allowed to have things in their way in the election of deputy mayor in Thiruvananthapuram. In Thrissur too, the party has been forced to share the deputy mayor post with the DIC(K).

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