The Janakeeya Vikasana Samithi (JVS) candidate Adv P M Jaya was elected as the vice-chairperson of the Shoranur Municipality in a triangular contest here on Thursday.
The name of Adv P M Jaya was proposed by the CPM parliamentary leader S Krishnadas and seconded by the former chairman and the JVS leader M R Murali.
Adv P M Jaya of the JVS secured 20 votes, 8 votes of the JVS and 12 votes of the CPM. The Congress candidate M Sheena secured 8 votes and the BJP candidate V Ajitha secured 3 votes.
The lone SDPI candidate and the lone CPI candidate abstained from voting.
Subsequently, the oath of office was administered to Adv P M Jaya. The returning officer was the deputy director of agriculture, Usha.
However, V K Sreekantan the leader of the Congress parliamentary party said that the oath of office of a vice-chairperson should be administered by an elected chairman under the Municipal Act 143(2). He said that only the chairman should be administered the oath of office by an official nominated by the government.
Subsequently the 8 member Congress councillors walked out of the council hall protesting the administering of the oath. The three member BJP councillors also walked out.
The JVS and the CPM pointed out that Sarala who had resigned from the post of chairperson of the Public Works Committee two days ago is functioning as the chairman of the Municipality and there is nothing wrong in her administering the oath of office to the new vice-chairperson.
The elections to the post of chairpersons of the three standing committees of Education, Development and Health will take place on Friday. These posts were vacated by the Congress after it parted ways with the JVS.
