V.K. Prasanth, belonging to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Rakhi Ravikumar, of the Communist Party of India, were sworn in as the Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively of the city Corporation.
They were elected at a special meeting of the newly elected councillors on Wednesday. Shortly after the election process, which went on for about four hours, District Collector-cum-District Electoral Officer Biju Prabhakar administered the oath to Mr. Prasanth, who will go down in history as the youngest councillor to hold the Mayor post.
The Collector then draped the ceremonial robe of the Mayor over Mr. Prasanth. After this, the Mayor administered the pledge to Ms. Ravikumar. The election of CPI(M) nominee for the post of Mayor was a foregone conclusion after the Left Democratic Front topped the tally in the civic body elections with 43 seats, leaving 35 seats to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 21 to United Democratic Front (UDF) and one seat to Independent. The BJP and UDF were in the fray by putting up candidates for Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts.
Mr Prasanth received one vote less than LDF’s total strength of 43 as election authorities declared the vote cast by CPI(M) councillor B. Sathyan, who won in Punkulam ward, as invalid. His vote was made invalid, as he failed to put his signature on reverse side of the ballot paper.
Abstains from voting
Though LDF was expecting the vote of Latha Kumari, who won Sreekaryam ward as an Independent candidate, she abstained from the procedure though she was present at the council meeting.
BJP Mayor candidate Girikumar, who won in Valiyavila ward, and S.R. Ramya Ramesh, who represents Pattom ward, received 35 votes. However, the UDF Mayor candidate Johnson Joseph, representing Ulloor ward, received one vote less as V.R. Sini, who won in Akkulam ward as a candidate of UDF partner Communist Marxist Party led by C.P. John faction, was not allowed to cast vote due to late arrival.
However, she was allowed to participate in the election to Deputy Mayor post, held in the evening session. Sajeena, who won from Beemapally East, received 21 votes. In the open ballot poll, councillors were told to put a cross against the candidates of their choice and write their names and also put their signatures on the reverse side of the ballot papers if their votes were to be valid.
