Kerala - Kottayam   

Plan for no-trust move against municipal chief

KOTTAYAM: After the no-confidence motion at Kottayam District Panchayat where the United Democratic Front (UDF) ousted its own president, another motion of no confidence, this time to remove its own chairperson at the Kottayam Municipal council, is on the anvil. According to UDF leaders, they will hand over the notice to the Regional Joint Director of Municipalities at Kollam on Wednesday.

In the 38 member council, the UDF had 20 members. However, the chairperson, Reeba Varkey, refused to step down as per an earlier arrangement among the coalition partners. Instead, she along with four other UDF members, formed a caucus and continued at the helm with the support of the Left Democratic Front (LDF). The peculiar arrangement had been continuing till now. However, it appears that the five-member caucus is already under pressure not only from outside, but also from inside.

According to UDF leaders, some of the councillors who had gone with Ms. Varkey, may rework their strategies soon. In fact, it is an open secret that the CPI district leadership, though they are supporting her, is not happy with the arrangement. Though the simmering discontent was evident for quiet sometime, it was the failure on the part of the current ruling dispensation to give the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium for holding the meeting of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church that has triggered the present flurry of activities. Slogans against the chairperson and the municipal council were heard at the show of strength organised by the Church on Sunday.

The UDF leadership was quick to grab the chance, which would not only help them to shake the strange political combination at the municipal council, but also to dent the image of LDF in the district, which has strong Orthodox pockets.

In the 38 member council, Congress today has 15 members. CPI(M) has 14; CPI, two; NCP, one; independent, one; and Congress rebels, five. The Congress has already got signatures of 14 members on their notice for no confidence. Once the notice is accepted by the authorities, the no confidence motion will be taken up for discussion within two weeks.

It was only last month that the UDF removed its own president at the Kottayam District Panchayat. He too had tried to cobble up a coalition with the support of the LDF. However, the UDF managed to over throw him with the help of a rebel LDF member who double crossed back to the LDF fold during the presidential election that followed, thereby helping the LDF wrest the panchayat administration.

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