The Congress has given notice for a no-trust motion against Mayor M.K. Varghese and Deputy Mayor Rajasree Gopan in the Left Democratic Front-ruled Thrissur Corporation. The no-trust motion will be taken for discussion in the council on March 15.
The Congress move has put the LDF in a tight spot in the 55-member council. The LDF has 25 members, including the Mayor, who is a Congress-rebel. The Congress has 24 members in the council while the BJP has six. The LDF does not have an absolute majority.
It is reported that Mr. Varghese has threatened the LDF that if it removes him from the Mayor post, he will withdraw support for the front. In that case the LDF will lose its majority in the council.
A meeting of Congress councillors and District Congress Committee members recently took the decision to go for the no-trust motion. The LDF rule, which is immersed in corruption, has no moral right to continue in power, the meeting pointed out unanimously.
Earlier, there was a major protest in the council over the master plan for the city development. The Opposition said the master plan, which was not approved by the council, cannot be implemented.
The Opposition alleged that former Mayor Ajitha Vijayan submitted the plan to the government without the knowledge of the council.
The Congress argued that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) favoured the land mafia in the changed master plan. Now it also alleged that construction works worth crores had been given by the corporation without tender process.
The stance taken by the BJP councillors on the no-trust motion will be decisive.
