THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: LDF has gained a firm upperhand in the Kerala University Syndicate by winning eight of the nine seats to which elections were held on Thursday. Earlier, four LDF nominees, including a student representative, were elected unopposed to the Syndicate. UDF had to contend with one Syndicate seat, which too was won through a draw of lots following a tie.
The newly elected LDF-backed members are: R Rajesh, MLA, Mavelikkara; Jairaj J, assistant professor, Government College, Attingal; M Vijayan Pillai, NSS College, Nilamel; B P Murali, Thiruvannathapuram District panchayat member; Vijayan Padanilam, Alappuzha District Panchayat member; Bijukumar G, section officer, Univesity Office; Adv Muralidharan Pillai G and Adv B Balachandran. The UDF had a lone winner in R Arunkumar of KSMDB College, Sasthamcotta.
Managers unrepresented
Interestingly, the present Syndicate will have no representative from private managements as elections were not held in the management constituency this time. It is to be noted that 169 of the 188 colleges affiliated to the University of Kerala are controlled by private managements.Sensing a clear advantage for UDF in the managers’ constituency, the LDF government had earlier reduced the number of management representatives in the Senate from five to one through an ordinance.
Since the ordinance was in the High Court, the University decided not to conduct election in the managers’ constituency. LDF government had also amended the University rules barring self-financing college principals from contesting Syndicate elections. This too, sources say, proved advantageous to the LDF candidates.
UDF loses hold
UDF, which had as many as 65 members in the previous Senate, saw its numbers dwindle to 10 this time, a reason why rival LDF candidates won hands down in the Syndicate election. The former Syndicate, constituted during the tenure of the Oommen Chandy government, was marked by clashes between elected and nominated UDF members. This, along with factional fight within the Congress has been cited as reasons for UDF’s dismal show in the recent Senate and Syndicate elections.