THIRUVANANATHAPURAM: The Kerala Cabinet on Friday issued its nod for the draft legislation on delimitation of wards in panchayats, municipalities and other local bodies.
The new bill will be brought in the next assembly session scheduled to begin on June 10. The cabinet also decided to recommend Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to promulgate the 11th session of the 15th Kerala Assembly. The session, convened to discuss and pass the full budget for the fiscal 2024-25, is expected to last till July last week.
The government decided to convene the assembly session without delay, after the Governor returned its ordinance on ward delimitation in local bodies, citing model code of conduct. Khan directed the state government to first get clearance from the Central Election Commission. Following this uncertainty, the government decided to opt for legislation.
The assembly session from June 10 is expected to be stormy, in view of a slew of political issues. Opposition UDF is likely to attack the Left government over the bar bribery allegations that surfaced on Friday. The Opposition will further corner the government over the forest department's goof-up over the move to replant Eucalyptus in KFDC's plantations.
An exciting session is expected to be on the cards, as it would be held immediately after the Lok Sabha poll results are announced on June 4. The composition of the session would also be different this time around, as four Left MLAs including SC/ST minister K Radhakrishnan and popular leader KK Shailaja are in the fray, while the UDF has fielded its young legislator Shafi Parambil from Vadakara.
How the Left government would defend the charges against it, would depend on the poll results. While both the LDF and UDF fronts are optimistic of a major victory, the BJP-led NDA hopes to open its account for the first time.