KOTTAYAM: In a move which can be considered a flashpoint in its relationship with the Congress, the Kerala Congress (M) [KC(M)] emerged winners in the race for the Kottayam district panchayat president on Wednesday with the strategic support of the CPM.
By shutting its doors again on the UDF - with which it had severed ties last year - and accepting the CPM’s support, KC(M) secured the victory of its candidate Zacharias Kuthiraveli. He defeated opponent Sunny Pampady of the Congress by four votes.
Zacharias got 12 votes, six each from the KC(M) and CPM, while Sunny secured eight votes in the 22-member party. The lone member of the CPI, CPM’s ally, abstained from voting, while the vote cast by the member of the P C George-led faction in the council was deemed invalid.
Reacting sharply to the setback the Congress suffered in the home turf of its senior leaders like former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan MLA, District Congress Committee president Joshy Philip said it was a conspiracy between the KC(M) and CPM.
“Now, things have become clearer with regard to the alliance between the two parties. This was a deceitful move by the KC(M) even before the ink dried on its April 3 deal with the Congress,” he said.
KC(M) chief K M Mani dismissed the development as a local issue. “It was a decision made by the district panchayat members who had been at the receiving end of Congress’ actions,” he said.
The election for the district panchayat president had been necessitated with the resignation of Joshy after he assumed the office of the DCC president. While in the UDF, KC(M) and Congress had agreed to share the top post. Despite their separation last year, both parties had in April entered into an agreement to support Sunny till the Congress’ term ended.