: With just a few months left for the local body elections, the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) lost power in the Mavelikkara Municipality on Tuesday in a no-confidence motion moved by the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The motion against the municipal chairman, K.R. Muraleedharan, was passed with support of the two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillors in the 28-member council. Fifteen votes were polled in support of the no-confidence motion.
The outcome of the voting was on expected lines with 10 Congress councillors and the lone Kerala Congress (M) councillor abstaining from the process. Only one Congress councillor voted against the motion. Notably, one of the two Communist Party of India (CPI) councillors also stayed away from the exercise. Besides 10 CPI (M) and two CPI councillors, the LDF consisted of one Independent and Communist Marxist Party (CMP) councillor each. The issue had taken a crucial turn with the BJP deciding to support the motion at a meeting held a day ago. The Municipal vice-chairperson Meena Sunil, who was set to face no-confidence motion on Wednesday, has also resigned in the wake of the developments.
The manner in which Mr. Muraleedharan had assumed power soon after the 2010 local body election had aroused interest. While the UDF and LDF locked horns in an election for the top position with 13 councillors each on either side, an invalid vote that had been cast by a LDF councillor proved to be decisive with the two BJP councillors abstaining from the process back then. Recently, Biji Anilkumar, a CMP councillor, switched sides over to the LDF camp with the recent split within the party.
The outcome of the voting was on expected lines with 10 Congress councillors and the lone Kerala Congress (M) councillor abstaining from the process.
