KOCHI: With the byelection in Ernakulam getting over, the murky Congress group politics has come to the fore again in Kochi Corporation. The stakes are high for both the ‘I’ and ‘A’ groups, now that Deputy Mayor T J Vinodh of the ‘I group has won the byelection and it is learnt that the ‘I’ group’s immediate concern is to find a successor for Vinodh in the corporation council.
If Mayor Soumini Jain, who belongs to the ‘A’ group, continues in the post, Congress councillors T D Martin and K R Prem Kumar — both from ‘I’ group — have thrown their hat in the ring for the post. Both of them have, in fact, approached the district Congress leadership and expressed their interest. Since the communal equations are playing a major role in deciding Vinodh’s successor, it is likely that the party would consider Martin, a Latin Catholic, for the post. The out-going deputy mayor also hails from the Latin community while Prem Kumar belongs to the Ezhava community.
“Some councillors have already approached the district leadership and expressed their interest to run for the deputy mayor’s post. It is up to the party to decide whom to field for the post. A formal discussion is to happen in the coming days as Vinodh has to submit his resignation within 15 days,” said a source. However, the selection process is likely to be a herculean task for the Congress district leadership as the party has to surrender the standing committee post to the LDF if the party wants to put its candidate for the deputy mayor’s post. “At present, the education and the health standing committees are with the LDF. If we take a deputy mayor candidate from town planning committee it will result in the UDF losing the majority in the committee. Right now, we do not have the majority in the finance committee which comes under the deputy mayor. The communal equation is also a major issue in deciding the successor of Vinodh. Moreover, the party has to face a byelection in the division,” said the party source.
Mayor to step down?
Meanwhile, a top source in the Congress said the party leadership was also planning to remove Soumini from the post. Though the KPCC had earlier turned down the move, the district leadership is now going ahead with the proposal to bring a change of guard along with the deputy mayor’s post, especially after the recent comments by the Kerala High Court against the corporation’s incompetence.
“There is a clamour for a leadership change in the corporation within the district congress for the last two years. However, the KPCC was not ready to bring a leadership change in the corporation. But the situation has changed now. The recent waterlogging and the High Court’s remark have tarnished the image of the corporation. Since both the mayor and the deputy mayor have to take the blame in equal measure, the district leadership is planning to bring a change of guard. So far, no formal discussions have been held in this regard. But the party will discuss it seriously in the coming days,” said another senior Congress leader.
Hibi Eden, MP, said that to woo more independent votes, the corporation should actively intervene in civic issues.
State of affairs
‘I’ group’s T J Vinodh has to resign in 15 days
T D Martin and K R Premkumar of ‘I’ group are the contenders
If Mayor Saumini Jain of the ‘A’ group goes, Shiny Mathew and V K Minimol - both ‘A’ group members - are contenders