Defying apprehensions of a stormy election session, United Democratic Front (UDF) candidates M.T. Omana and Sabu Francis were comfortably elected as chairperson and vice chairperson of Thrikkakara municipality on Wednesday.
There were no unexpected twists and turns as widely speculated. Councillors voted along the expected lines, completing the shift of power in the cash-rich municipality from the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to the UDF.
In a house of 43 members, both the chairperson and vice chairperson were elected by 22 votes against LDF’s tally of 21 votes. LDF fielded K.K. Neenu and K.T. Eldho as their chairperson and vice chairperson candidates.
Deputy Collector (Land Acquisition) M.P. Jose served as the returning officer and administered the oath to both the winning candidates.
Talking to the media shortly after the swearing-in ceremony, Ms. Omana promised to work for the development of the municipality by taking into confidence the people and the entire council.
The newly-elected chairperson was visibly overwhelmed and needed prompting from her party colleagues while talking to the media. UDF supporters took out a victory procession as soon as the result of election to the chairperson’s post was declared
Sharing of office
While both Ms. Omana and Mr. Francis feigned ignorance about any arrangement reached in the party about sharing the office and left it for the party to decide, it is reliably learnt that such an understanding has been worked out. According to sources, Ms. Omana who owes her allegiance to ‘A’ faction will step down after one-and-a-half years for Ajitha Thankappan of ‘I’ faction and Sheela Charu to share the office for the rest of the term among them. It is also learned that Mr. Francis will be replaced by P.M. Yusuf of the Indian Union Muslim League after one-and-a-half years.
The election was necessitated after a no-confidence motion moved against LDF chairperson Ms. Neenu was passed last month. The motion against Mr. Francis, who was serving as vice chairman with LDF support, proved redundant after he submitted his resignation before the motion was taken up. The power equation in the municipality changed in favour of the UDF after Mr. Francis, who won the election as UDF rebel, switched sides and returned to his parent party.
High drama was witnessed ahead of last month’s no-confidence motion when UDF councillors went on a rampage, alleging that there was deliberate abstention of the municipal secretary from the office at LDF’s instance to avoid accepting Mr. Francis’s resignation.
