Elections to the posts of president and vice president in grama panchayats and block panchayats in the district on Wednesday witnessed many twists and turns.
In the Chennithala Thripperuthura grama panchayat, Vijayamma P. of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] was elected president with the support of the United Democratic Front (UDF). In the local body elections held earlier this month, both the UDF and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance won six seats each, whereas the Left Democratic Front (LDF) got four seats. The post of president in the local body is reserved for Scheduled Castes woman. As the UDF did not have a Scheduled Caste woman member, its members voted for Ms. Vijayamma. Meanwhile, Ravikumar of the Congress was elected the vice president.
T.V. Ratnakumari of the CPI(M) was elected president of the Mannar grama panchayat after Congress member Sunil Sredheyam, who was later elected vice president, cast his vote for her. Both the LDF and the UDF won eight seats each in the elections to the grama panchayat.
In Muttar
In the Muttar grama panchayat, LDF candidate Merlin Baiju of the Janadhipathya Kerala Congress was elected president after two members of the Kerala Congress Joseph group switched sides and cast their votes for her.
The BJP stormed to power in the Pandanad and Kodamthuruth grama panchayats. In Pandanad, Asha was elected president while Surendran Nair became vice president. Bineesh Illikkal of the BJP is the new president of the Kodamthuruth panchayat while Akhila Rajan was elected vice president.
Jincy Jolly of the Congress was elected president of the Champakulam block panchayat through a draw of lots. Earlier both the UDF and the LDF won six seats each in the elections. M.S. Sreekanth of the Communist Party of India became the vice president of the block panchayat.
Postponed
Election to the post of president in the Chingoli grama panchayat was postponed after UDF members failed to turn up. Officials said that the election would now be held on Thursday.
The heads of other grama panchayats and block panchayats in the district too were sworn-in.
