After emerging as the single largest party in the Palakkad municipal council, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in the process of deciding its chairperson and vice chairperson candidates for the election scheduled on November 18.
Though it fell short of majority by three seats, the BJP is hopeful of ruling the municipality so long as the councillors of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Left Democratic Front (LDF) do not come together. As per the relevant Act, a party or formation with the largest number of councillors can rule a municipality. A non-confidence motion can be moved only after six months.
If its candidates win, Palakkad will be the first municipality in Kerala to come under BJP rule. As the chairperson post is reserved for women, the BJP is likely to field of its senior councillor Prameela Sasidharan. This is the fourth consecutive time Ms. Sasidharan is getting elected to the municipal council. The party, it is understood, is also considering K. Divya, a new face in the council. For the post of vice chairperson, the party has to choose between BJP district president C. Krishnakumar and national samithy member N. Sivarajan. State committee member S.R. Balasubrahmanyam is also in the reckoning.
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In the Ottappalam municipal council, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is planning to field N.M. Narayanan Namboodiri as its chairman candidate. Party leader K. Ratnamma will be the vice chairperson candidate.
The CPI(M) is the single largest party in the hung council. The party is now trying to win five party dissidents who contested and won as councillors over to its side.
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In the Cherppulassery municipality, where also there is a hug verdict, the UDF is the single largest formation. Both the Congress and the IUML have demanded the post of chairperson.
In Mannarkkad, where both the LDF and the UDF won equal number of seats, both sides are engaged in clandestine efforts to win councillors from rival sides. The three seats won by the BJP remain crucial there.