Angamaly municipality: no end in sight to crisis

'A' group leaders have approached the State leadership of the Congress seeking action against party district president V.J. Poulose.

June 09, 2014 10:51 am | Updated October 18, 2016 02:46 pm IST - KOCHI:

Despite the ouster of its chairman from the party, the crisis in the Congress over the running of Angamaly municipality is refusing to die down with the ‘A’ group leaders now approaching the State leadership of the party, seeking action against the district Congress president, V.J. Poulose.

“We have reported the new development to the KPCC leadership and is waiting for a response from its president, V.M. Sudheeran,” said C.K. Varghese, the Angamaly municipality chairman. Refuting rumours about his resignation from the chairman’s post, he alleged that the district Congress committee was trying to bring in an Independent councillor from outside the ruling coalition to the chairman’s post.

Earlier, Mr. Varghese sent a letter to the KPCC president stating that the DCC was acting unilaterally in favour of the ‘I’ group councillors in the municipality.

Meanwhile, sources in the DCC said they were yet to arrive at a decision with regard to the selection of a new candidate to the chairman’s post. “Mr. Varghese should have resigned from the post about six months ago and has been ousted for holding the post as against the Congress parliamentary party’s decision. It is only after his resignation from the chairman’s post that we can suggest a new chairman,” they said.

The crisis in Angamaly began early this year with the incumbent municipal chairman, who belonged to the ‘A’ group refusing to resign and hand over the post to the ‘I’ group despite a direction from the DCC.

In July last year, Mr. Varghese was ousted from the post of municipal chairman after an LDF sponsored no-confidence motion was passed in the council with the support of eight ‘I’ group councillors. He, however, returned to power soon following an intervention from the party’s top leadership, which settled the issue.

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