Four council meetings to set stage for no-confidence battle at Pala
Even as the standoff within the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) in Pala shows no signs of easing, the municipality has convened four consecutive council
Even as the standoff within the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) in Pala shows no signs of easing, the municipality has convened four consecutive council meetings from July 14 to 17, just days before the no-confidence motion moved by the LDF-led Opposition against chairperson Diya Binu is scheduled to come up for discussion. The move has added a fresh political dimension to an already bitter power struggle between the Congress and the independent collective, the two constituents of the ruling front whose relationship has deteriorated into an open confrontation. With the no-confidence motion looming, there is growing speculation that the independent collective led by the chairperson, is attempting to settle pending policy and administrative issues before the political equations undergo a possible upheaval.
Waste of resources The Congress, however, has dismissed the move as a calculated waste of public resources. Party councillors, who have openly revolted against the chairperson, accused her of squandering both public money and the council’s time by convening four separate meetings to deliberate on just one or two agenda items each day. The agenda includes issues such as the disappearance of a file from the chairperson’s chamber, the pre-monsoon sanitation drive, the proposal to install a statue of Kumaran Asan at the Children’s Park, the contentious autorickshaw stand at Kottaramattom and the induction of a Kerala Congress member into the General Hospital management committee, among others.
“All these issues could have been discussed in a single meeting. The council routinely considers up to 20 agenda items in one sitting. By scheduling separate meetings, the chairperson and the independent collective are mocking both the council and the people,” said Congress councillor Biju Mathews. The independent collective, however, has defended the decision, pointing out that the Opposition itself had earlier described several of these issues as serious enough to warrant detailed deliberations. With neither side showing any willingness to compromise, the numbers now favour the Opposition. The 26-member council has 12 members on the LDF side. If all six Congress councillors vote with the Opposition, the no-confidence motion would secure the required majority.
The independent collective, however, remains hopeful that the district Congress leadership will intervene before the vote and issue a whip directing Congress councillors to oppose the motion, a move that could alter the outcome. For now, there is little indication of such an intervention. “The district and State leaderships of the Congress have maintained a studied silence and the councillors are determined to press ahead with their rebellion. They are confident that the leadership will not override their collective decision,’’ noted a Congress leader.
The BriefWire