The United Democratic Front (UDF) on Monday ousted the vice president of the Bharananganam grama panchayat, Josutty Ambalamuttath of the Kerala Congress (M), with the support of two Left Democratic Front (LDF) Independents.
LDF Independents Vinod Veranani and Elsamma voted in favour of a no-trust motion moved by the UDF. In the 13-member council, eight members voted in favour of the motion and four against it. The lone BJP member abstained from voting.
The UDF and the LDF have six members each in the council and Lissy Sunny of the Congress had won the president’s post through a draw of lots.
The LDF Independents said they had voted in support of the no-trust motion as part of registering their protest against the KC(M)’s stand of denying development work in their wards.
‘UDF-quarry lobby nexus’
The LDF mandalam committee office-bearers, on the other hand, attributed the development to a nexus between the UDF and the quarry lobby. “It was part of the attempts to sabotage a vigilance inquiry against illegal quarrying in the panchayat. The LDF will continue its opposition to the quarry lobby and its attempts to intervene in the administrative affairs of the panchayat,” they said.
Sources said the LDF was planning to file a petition against the two members to the State Election Commission seeking their disqualification under the Anti-Defection Law.
