M. Anilkumar of the CPI(M) was elected Mayor of the Kochi Corporation on Monday, bringing a Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate back to the chair after a ten-year hiatus.
Mr. Anilkumar secured 36 votes, defeating the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Antony Kureethara who secured 32 votes in the 74-member council.
In a first, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which had so far abstained from participating in the election to the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, fielded candidates for both posts this time, propelled by their all-time highest tally of five seats in the council. Sudha Dileep Kumar, the BJP candidate for Mayor, secured the vote of all five NDA councillors.
The councillors toed their respective party lines, with the Independent candidates sticking to the allegiances they had promised earlier. K.P. Antony, councillor from Manassery, who had contested as an Independent candidate, abstained from voting.
The LDF had won 34 seats and then secured the support of two Independents, former IUML councillor T.K. Ashraf and councillor from Panayapilly J. Sanilmon.
The UDF won 31 seats and also had the support of an Independent councillor, Mary Prakasan.
Since no candidate secured more votes that the total votes secured by the other two candidates combined in the first round, a second round was held after eliminating the BJP candidate who secured the least votes.
CPI(M) leaders including district secretary C.N. Mohanan and K.J. Maxi, MLA, were present at the council to greet Mr. Anilkumar after his win.
The new Mayor was sworn in by the District Collector. A lawyer, Mr. Anilkumar debuted as a councillor at the age of 25 in the year 2000, and was elected to the council for the fourth time this year. He held the post of the works standing committee chairman from 2008 to 2010, and was the CPI(M) candidate for the Ernakulam constituency in the 2016 Legislative Assembly election.
At the council meeting that followed, Mr. Anilkumar said that the foremost priority of the new council would be the completion of the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) housing project for the residents of Thuruthy, a project which has been stuck in limbo for years.
The council would also cooperate with the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) to ensure swift rehabilitation of the residents of P&T Colony, said Mr. Anilkumar, who represents Elamakkara North.
Coordinating with all agencies working in the city and the district, including the district administration, Kochi Metro Rail Limited and the GCDA, would be crucial for the new council, he said, adding that the problems of the common people and the workers would take centre stage.
After UDF councillors at the meeting reiterated that the LDF had failed to secure an absolute majority in the election, Mr. Anilkumar dismissed the matter, reminding the council that any decision would be taken only with the backing of all councillors irrespective of political affiliation.
Waste management would also be a top priority for the council, he said later, while addressing the media in the Mayor’s chamber. The council will attempt to work out a decentralised waste management system to reduce its volume, rather than simply relying on a new waste-to-energy plant. Apart from implementing an existing study by Esteem Developers to deal with waterlogging in the city, detailed studies would have to be undertaken to resolve the issue, he said.
Rather than focusing on just basic amenities, bringing about a cultural change in the city would be on the council’s agenda, said Mr. Anilkumar.
