KOCHI:Even as the Congress leadership is facing a tough time finalising the Mayor candidate in the Kochi Corporation, the Youth Congress (YC) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) have staked claim for the Deputy Mayor post.
The Youth Congress state committee on Sunday demanded that Thampi Subrahmanian, councillor from the Palluruthi-Kacherippady division, be selected for the Deputy Mayor’s post. “We have urged the Congress leadership to give deserving posts to youths,” said YC state president Dean Kuriakose. “Thampi is a state leader of the Youth Congress and an experienced councillor in the Corporation. We have demanded the Congress leadership that Thampi be considered for the post of Deputy Mayor,” he said.
The Muslim League also demanded the Deputy Mayor post, and urged its state leadership to take up the issue with the UDF and ensure ‘a decent treatment by the Congress’.
“Given the present status of the UDF in the Corporation, our demand for the Deputy Mayor post is legitimate,” said IUML district general secretary K M Abdul Majeed. “Support of two IUML members is crucial in the council,” he pointed out. The IUML, meanwhile, cited the internal problems within the Congress as the reason behind the defeat of many UDF candidates in the district.
The Congress leadership, however, is not in a mood to budge to the bargaining of the IUML, as they feel that the Congress is strong enough to rule the council and that the IUML’s demand has no ground.
As per the existing deal, the Deputy Mayor post will go to the ‘I’ faction of the party, which is projecting Development Standing Committee former chairman T J Vinod for the post.