Even as the controversy over the Kerala Congress (M) trek with the CPI(M) continued on Thursday, the Congress candidate for the post of vice president was elected with KC(M) support at Vazhappally grama panchayat near Changanassery.
The KC(M) has eight members and the Congress four, in the 21-member grama panchayat. The LDF which was in the Opposition had nine members. In Thursday’s election, Sheela Thomas of the Congress was elected the new vice president as per the gentleman’s agreement between the Congress and KC(M). She received 12 votes against the nine received by Thulasi Babu of the CPI(M).
The Congress leadership in the district was quick to dub the development as a total rejection of the new line being expounded by the KC(M) leadership which had experimented with the CPI(M) support at the district panchayat on Wednesday.
On the other hand, the election at Mutholi grama panchayat saw the Congress hardening its stance against the KC(M) as they kept away from the voting for the post of president. The grama panchayat has a strength of 13 members where the KC(M) has seven seats.
In Thursday’s election, Beena Baby of the KC(M) was declared elected with seven votes against her nearest rival N. Mayadevi of the BJP who received three votes. The Congress with two votes and the CPI(M) with one vote did not participate in the election.
Meanwhile, the District Congress Committee (DCC) stepped up its attack against K.M. Mani alleging that he was trying to trivialise the gravity of the move they had initiated by upsetting the political equation in the State by latching itself to the CPI(M) bandwagon.
Speaking to media persons, DCC president Joshy Philip said Mr. Mani and Jose K. Mani, MP, had found themselves isolated in the party. Thursday’s statement from Mr. Mani trying to dismiss the development as localised was only a ploy to insulate themselves from the ire of the KC(M) activists, he said.
The DCC chief alleged that the KC(M) was trying to come back into the UDF fold as was evident from the mellowing down of the stance by KC(M) chairman K.M. Mani. “Any such move will be opposed by the district unit of the Congress,” he said.
