UDF loses Payyoli municipality
Veerandra Kumar's Lok Tantric Janta Dal has three members and their support took LDF camp to 20 against the UDF's 16.
KOZHIKODE: UDF has now been relegated into a single municipality rule in the district after it lost Payyoli municipality on Monday. The no confidence motion brought by the opposition LDF against the UDF chairperson and vice-chairman were passed as M.P Veerandra Kumar's Janta Dal faction voted in favour. Veerandra Kumar's Lok Tantric Janta Dal has three members and their support took LDF camp to 20 against the UDF’s 16. Of the total 36 seats, UDF had 19 and LDF 17 till Monday.
However, during voting on Monday, the vote of a CPM member turned to be invalid, passing the no confidence motion against chairperson P. Kulsu (IUML) by a 19-16 margin. In the afternoon, no confidence motion against vice-chairman Madathil Nanu (Congress) was moved and passed by a 20-16 margin. Reacting to the incident, P. Kulsu said that it was political opportunism and sabotage of people’s verdict. “People are witnessing all these and they will teach political opportunists at the right time,” she said.
Victorious LDF members held a rally at Payyoli town. UDF now remains at the helm at Koduvally municipality only out of the total seven municipal corporations in the district. Last month, the chairperson post at Farook municipality was lost due to the squabbling between Congress and IUML.