M.C. Sreeja of the Congress was elected chairperson of the Kannur municipal council even as Indian Union Muslim League workers, angry that their party did not get the post for the first half of the five-year term, turned their ire against its leadership.
At the elections held at the council meeting, Ms. Sreeja won 33 votes and Left Democratic Front candidate K.P. Snehalatha, eight. The Congress and the Muslim League have 16 members each and the Indian National League, also in the United Democratic Front, has one member.
The Congress and the League had written to each other staking the first claim to the post. When the State leadership of latter withdrew the demand following consultations that went on till the eleventh hour, party workers shouted slogans and waved black flags at the council hall.
The protest spilled out around noon, with the house of party district president V.K. Abdul Khader Moulavi being pelted with stones. The windscreen of a car parked on the premises and some windowpanes were smashed.
Union Minister of State for Railways E. Ahamed, K. Sudhakaran, MP, and other State- and district-level United Democratic Front leaders had taken part in the discussions to break the deadlock.
The Congress and the League, with more or less equal strength in the council in the past as well, are used to sharing the post. In the previous council also, the Congress took it first.
