The Hindu 02.09.2010
New parties alter composition of City Corporation Council
Biju Govind
| Rise in number of councillors in Opposition |
LDF has reduced numbers now
Regrouping of constituents has changed situation
KOZHIKODE: The changes in the political sphere of the State have had its resonance in the city council during the past five years.
The profile of the council underwent transformation after the formation of new political parties and regrouping of constituents in the two coalitions at the State-level. Some councillors shifted loyalties from one party to another while others switched over either to the ruling or Opposition sides in the 55-member council.
The council saw the split in the defunct Democratic Indira Congress- Karunakaran (DIC-K) floated by senior Congress leader K. Karunakaran and his son K. Muraleedharan. The party had won eight seats, one more than the Congress-Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) combine, in the local body elections in September 2005, after forming an alliance with the Left Democratic Front (LDF).
One of its members, P.T. Vasunni Kurup soon joined the Congress party and the others, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) when the DIC (K) merged with that party. Now three councillors, A. Pushpa Latha, U.T. Rajan and Anita Rajan, are still with the NCP though Mr. Muraleedharan and his supporters walked out of the NCP. At present, the NCP has four councillors, including Shobana Thattani, who won on the NCP ticket.
The fate of the remaining DIC (K) councillors, Chalana Sreemati, Prameela Balagopal, Sherly Pramod and P. Mammad Koya whose sympathies are with Mr. Muraleedharan, is uncertain.
The Janata Dal (Secular), which was a constituent of the Communist Party of India- Marxist (CPI-M)–led LDF had won four seats in the council. But the fractious relationship between M.P. Veerendrakumar and the CPI (M) more than a year ago resulted in the former forming the Socialist Janata (Democratic) and joining the United Democratic Front (UDF). But one of the councillors, Hansa Jayant, is still in the Janata Dal (Secular) led by H.D. Deve Gowda.
Currently, the number of councillors in the Opposition has increased with three former Janata Dal (Secular) members joining the UDF. However, the LDF which secured a three-fourth majority has its numbers reduced now.
In the local body elections, the CPI (M) had won 30 seats securing a single majority in council. Its partner, the Communist Party of India (CPI), won two. One of the councillors, A.M. Marim, won on the Indian National League (INL) ticket. Recently, the official faction of the INL severed its electoral ties with the LDF.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has one councillor and K.C. Anil Kumar, who emerged victorious from Kannadikal ward, was a CPI (M) rebel candidate.
In the previous 51-member council, the LDF had 32 councillors, UDF 18 and the BJP one.
Towards the fag end of the council, nine Congress members joined the DIC (K). The tactical understanding the LDF reached with the splinter Congress group gave both the parties an advantage in the elections.
