Many aspirants for Mayor’s post

KOLLAM: Election of the new Mayor will not be a smooth affair for the CPM. The CPI had staked its claim to the post for the last oneyear term of the present Corporation council.

With only 6 months left for the next election to the local bodies, the CPI is not likely to take a hard stand on the issue and create a situation which would worsen its relations with the CPM.

The party, however, will make a request to the CPM to allot the remaining period to it. CPI leader Veliyam Rajan is the Deputy Mayor and he will become the Acting Mayor once the resignation of Padmalochanan from the Mayor’s post comes into effect. Any decision on the CPI’s request has to be taken at the state level. There are at least three aspirants for the post in the CPM itself. The prominent among them is V.Rajendra Babu, former chairman of the Kerala University Union. He belongs to the Pinarayi faction.

However, the caste factor is against him.

The CPM is now not in a position to antagonise a major community which constitutes its major vote bank. The name of Sabida Begum is also mentioned. She was the first Mayor of the Kollam Corporation.

However, she lacks the support of factions as she is not active in any of the factions.

Prasanna Ernest is another aspirant. One among the senior members of the CPM councillors, she belongs to the VS faction.

However, the CPM district secretariat dominated by the Pinarayi faction will oppose her.