M.C. Azeez of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) was elected president of Koppam grama panchayat on Monday. His election took place through a draw of lots when a lone Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member stayed away from voting.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) have eight seats each in the 17-member civic body. LDF’s T. Unnikrishnan had been elected president in a draw of lots in the local body elections held in December 2020.
With the support of the lone BJP member A.P. Abhilash, the UDF ousted Mr. Unnikrishnan through a no-trust vote against him a few weeks ago. However, the BJP district leadership initiated action against Mr. Abhilash for supporting the UDF no-confidence motion in violation of the party whip.
When the LDF blamed the UDF and the BJP of colluding against it in the panchayat, the UDF distanced itself from the BJP and declared that it did not want the BJP support. Mr. Abhilash stayed away from the vote held on Monday to choose the new president. In the draw of lots, UDF candidate Mr. Azeez wrested power in the panchayat.
P.S. Latika, assistant education officer of Pattambi, supervised the election. Ms. Latika administered the oath of office to Mr. Azeez.
The UDF took out a victory demonstration through Koppam town. Koppam panchayat vice president of the IUML and former State secretary of Al Ain’s Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), Mr. Azeez was elected to Koppam panchayat council from ward 13.
UDF’s Pattambi constituency chairman K.P. Baputty and convener K.R. Narayana Swamy described the election result as a blow to the CPI(M) allegations of an unholy nexus between the UDF and the BJP. “We had declared that we would never join hands with the BJP. We had even decided not to accept the presidential position if we got it with the BJP support. But the CPI(M) had tried to get the BJP support by remaining silent about it,” they said.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alleged that it was the Congress-League-BJP alliance that led to the change of power in Koppam panchayat.
