EC disqualifies two panchayat members

In a rare development, the State Election Commission has disqualified two members of the Kadamakudy grama panchayat on the grounds of defection.

Panchayat members from the Congress, A.G. Mathew, representing ward no. 9, and M.F. Prasad, representing ward no. 7, were disqualified by State Election Commissioner V. Bhaskaran based on a complaint filed by Congress member and chairman of the panchayat’s health-education standing committee member, M.A. Sunnopan.

Members Barred

The disqualified members have also been barred from seeking candidature in elections to local bodies for six years from November 30.

Of the 13 wards in the panchayat, the United Democratic Front and the Left Democratic Front have five members each.

The BJP has two while one ward is represented by an independent.

The complaint filed by Mr. Sunnopan alleged that the two Congress members had defied the party whip and wilfully rendered their votes invalid, thereby tacitly helping LDF candidates to be elected president and vice president of the panchayat on November 19, 2015.