Blow for CPM in Selvaraj’s Panchayat
NEYYATTINKARA: Former MLA and erstwhile CPM leader R Selvaraj got a shot in the arm when Bindubala Sreekantan, vice-president of his native Kollayil grama panchayat and a member of the Kollayil local committee of the CPM, resigning from the party and the other posts on Tuesday.
“I am resigning because of mental torture from the party”, she said. Bindubala represented the Charuvilakom ward of the panchayat coming under the Parassala constituency bordering Neyyattinkara. Interestingly, the electoral victories of Selvaraj started in 1978 from the Eythukondani ward in Kollayil panchayat. He became its vice-president while he was a member of the Kottamam ward. The first death anniversary of Bindubala’s husband Sreekantan, a former member of the Kollayil local committee, was on March 24. It is alleged that his death anniversary was neglected by the party. Bindubala was not in good terms with a section of the party leaders and there is even a case against some local leaders in the Parassala police station on charges of allegedly locking her inside the office room of the panchayat.With the resignation of Bindubala, the strength of CPM has come down to seven in the 16-member panchayat. The other LDF member is from the CPI. The Congress has five members while BSP has one. There is an independent in the council.