The Vilavoorkal grama panchayat in the district witnessed high drama on Monday with two opposing no confidence motions being moved and both of them getting passed.
The BJP which was ruling the panchayat lost power and the Congress lost the vice-president post as a result of the motions, both of which were supported by the Left Democratic Front.
Vilavoorkal, one of the only three panchayats in the district ruled by the BJP, has six members each of the BJP and the Congress.
The LDF has five members, with four CPI(M) members and one CPI member. After the local body elections in 2015, the sharing of power was decided by a draw of lots.
The BJP got the president post and two standing committees, while the Congress got the vice-president post and three standing committees. The Congress was the first to move a no-confidence motion, against the panchayat president V.Anilkumar, citing administrative slowdown and lack of developmental activity.
The motion got passed with the five LDF members in the 17-member panchayat supporting the motion.
The second no-confidence motion was moved by the BJP against vice president S.Rosemary of the Congress party.
The BJP’s allegation was that the vice-president, who also heads the Finance Standing Committee has been a failure in the department.
The LDF members supported this motion too.
According to BJP member V.Vijayan Nair, who heads the Health and Education Standing Committees, it was unfair on the part of the Congress to bring in the no-confidence motion.
“The Congress and the Left Front have been ruling the panchayat for the past many decades, without bringing much development.
The BJP came in only 16 months back. It is unfair to expect us to turn around the situation in such a short time. The Congress also heads the Finance, Welfare and Development Standing Committees. We have always tried to consult with them in every matter. The Congress members here were not keen on this motion. This was dictated from outside,” he said.
However, Congress member K.Radhakarishnan, who heads the Development Standing Committee, says that his party decided to move the motion as the president was not co-operating with them.
“The president hardly responds to any of the issues raised by the Standing Committees. The panchayat is facing a huge drinking water crisis, but there is still no action from the president’s side. There are a whole host of other issues in which he does not co-operate, including the hospital project which is in limbo. But the CPI(M) should not have supported the motion against the vice-president moved by a party like BJP,” he said.
LDF member K.Prabhakumari said that the front supported both motions as per a decision taken in the local committee.
Next round
The next round of voting among the panchayat members to elect the new ruling council has to be held within 20 days.
