Congress asks Mattathur panchayat president to step down or face no-trust motion

In an attempt to wriggle out of the embarrassing episode in Mattathur grama panchayat in Thrissur where eight Congress ward members from the party had joined hands with the BJP to keep the Left Democratic Front out of power, the Congress leadership has asked both the newly elected president and vice president of the local body to step down.

While vice president Noorjahan Navas, who was elected on Congress ticket, has agreed to resign from the post, the president of the panchayat, Tessi Jose Kallarakkal, who contested as an independent and won the polls after being denied ticket by the Congress, is yet to make her mind up, Congress leader and Angamaly MLA Roji M. John said on Saturday.

Mr. John, who was deputed by the party State leadership to hold talks with the dissidents in Mattathur, was briefing media about the outcome of the discussions.

“The Congress has communicated to her that if she does not step down, the party will move a no confidence motion against her. However, it will be possible only after six months as per rules,” Mr. John said.

He repeated the party leadership’s stand that the narrative that Congress members joined the BJP in Mattathur was a fake news. “Our firm stance is that we will not make any tie-up with the BJP. It just happened that the BJP members supported the candidates put up by our people in a bid to keep the CPI(M) which has been ruling the panchayat for long out of power,” the MLA said.

In the 24 -member panchayat, the LDF secured 10 wards and UDF 8 and the NDA 4. There are two Independent councillors.

Ms. Kallarackal secured 12 votes—backed by all eight former Congress members and three of the four BJP members. One BJP member’s vote was declared invalid. Independent councillor K. R. Ouseph, a Congress rebel, received 10 votes of the LDF members. Ms. Kallarackal will require the support of the LDF to remain in power if the Congress moves a no-confidence motion.