In an unexpected turn of events on Monday, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) seized power in Thodupuzha municipality after the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s informal arrangement with the UDF rebels on Sunday to share power collapsed.
In the 35 member council, UDF has 13 seats, LDF 12, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) eight and there are two Congress rebels.
On Monday, Congress rebel Saneesh George became the municipal chairman and UDF Independent Jessy Johny was sworn in as the vice-chairperson.
The LDF got the upper hand in the tussle with the support of Mr George and Ms Johny with a single member majority in the council.
On Sunday, the UDF camp had said that it would come to power in the municipal council after it made an arrangement with the rebels. As per the decisions at the UDF council meeting, the chairman post was to be given to the Kerala Congress Joseph faction for the first one year.
However, the meeting which extended to midnight was inconclusive and a final decision on the vice-chairperson post was not taken.
There were difference of opinion on which party should get the first term for the chairman post and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Congress argued that the general norm was to allot it to the party that got more seats. Though Kerala Congress Joseph faction has only two seats, Mr Joseph was adamant that the party should be allotted the first term. Though Thodupuzha was considered a stronghold of the Joseph faction, it could win only two of the seven seats it had contested. The Joseph faction was of the opinion that it was the rebel menace in the Congress that badly worked out against the UDF prospects in the elections.
There was bedlam in the Congress camp as it was alleged that it was a missed chance by the party.
Ibrahimkutty Kallar, DCC president, said that the decision to allot the chairman seat to Joseph faction was taken by the UDF State leadership. The Congress rebels and an IUML Independent raised objections leading to the developments on Monday.
Meanwhile, Joy Vettikuzhy of Congress became the chairman in the Kattappana municipality where the UDF got a thumping majority.
