The Hindu 02.11.2010
Newly-elected members of civic bodies sworn in
Staff Reporter
| Supporters cheer as representatives take oath in Thrissur, Kottayam, Alappuzha and Idukki |
Photos: K. C. Sowmish and by Special Arrangement 
ASSUMING OFFICE:(From left) District Collector A. T. James administers the oath of office to the eldest councillor in Thrissur Corporation K. M. Sidharthan on Monday; the newly- elected members of Kottayam Municipal Council waiting for the swearing-in ceremony; Revenue Divisional Officer and Returning Officer
Thrissur: The newly-elected members of the Thrissur Corporation council were sworn in on Monday at a ceremony held at the Corporation council hall.
District Collector A. T. James administered the oath of office to the eldest councillor K. M. Sidharthan at 11.30 a.m. Subsequently, Mr. Sidharthan administered the oath of office to the other councillors and later chaired the first meeting of the council.
A large number of party supporters and family members of the councillors had reached the corporation office to witness the swearing in ceremony.
Councillors took oath one after the other as their friends and relatives cheered from the gallery. Many of the supporters came with party flags and garlands.
A mix of new-comers and seasoned politicians greeted each other irrespective of their party affiliations. The Corporation secretary informed the council that the election to the posts of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor would be held on November 9 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively. A notice for these elections was distributed to the councillors.
Later, the councillors filled up the declaration of party affiliation. Elaborate arrangements were made for people to witness the ceremony. A pandhal was erected on the premises of the Corporation office. Closed circuit Televisions were also installed.
Former Mayors Jose Kattokkaran, K. Radhakrishnan, former Deputy Mayor M. Vijayan and CPI(M) district secretary Baby John were present. Of the 55 seats in the Thrissur Corporation, the UDF won 45 seats. The LDF got six seats while the BJP has two and others two.
Meanwhile, the UDF is yet to decide about its mayoral candidates. The contenders for the mayor’s position are former Corporation Opposition Leader and an ‘I’ group member I. P. Paul; DCC general secretary and a Vayalar Ravi loyalist C. S. Srinivasan; and former councillor and an ‘A’ group member Rajan Pallan, according to the UDF sources.
District Panchayat
The newly-elected members of the Thrissur District Panchayat were sworn in on Monday. District Collector A. T. James administered the oath of office to K. K. Sreenivasan, the most senior member of the District Panchayat. He in turn administered the oath to other members — R. P. Basheer (Punnayurkkulam), M. K. Sathi Devi (Kadavallur), P. S. Mohandas (Thali), Ansa (Vallathol Nagar), E. Venugopala Menon (Thiruvilwamala), Sheela Padmanabhan (Vadakkanchery), Vidya Sangeet Mulankunnathukavu), K. V. Dasan (Madakkathara), T. J. Saneesh Kumar (Puthur), Kallur Babu (Amballur), Ajitha Radhakrishnan (Kattur), Jaimon (Athirappilly), Leela Subramanian (Muringur), Shejeena Majeed (Ashtamichira), P. K. Davis (Alur), Nisi Babu (Parappukkara), Jemeela Aboobacker (Azhikode), Hafsa Gafur (Mathilakam), Manjula Arunan (Thriprayar), Anitha Radhakrishnan (Kattur), Thara Manikantan (Cherpu), Sheela Vijayakumar (Ammadam), C. M. Noushad (Thalikkulam), V. K. Shahu Haji (Orumanayur), P. K. Rajan (Mullassery), Anil Akkara (Peramangalam), C. C. Sreekumar (Choondal) and T. Nirmala (Chelakkara).
All CPI(M) members, Mr. Anil Akkara and Mr. K. V. Dasan, projected as the UDF’s candidate for the district panchayat president, made a solemn affirmation while the rest took the oath of office in the name of God.
Swearing-in ceremonies were held in the municipalities too.
In Kottayam
Our Staff Reporter writes from Kottayam: The newly-elected members of the local bodies were sworn in on Monday. The District Collector Mini Antony led the ceremony for the district panchayat members. In all local bodies, the respective returning officer had sworn in the senior most elected member who in turn, administered the oath of office to others.
The members of the district panchayat and all the 11 block panchayats took oath on Wednesday while the members of only 69 grama panchayats out of the 73, were sworn in. The swearing-in in four grama panchayats, namely Pampady, Chempu, Thalnadu and Marangattupilly will be held on December 1 as the terms of these panchayats have not been completed now.
The swearing-in ceremony at Kottayam Municipal Council created emotional moments as one of the newly-elected member, Elizabeth Joemon, representing Thazhathangadi ward, broke down during the ceremony. She has been elected from the ward which was earlier represented by her late husband Joemon Thomas who had collapsed and died during the campaign. Elizabeth Joemon had contested as a Congress-rebel candidate.
In the district panchayat, the District Collector Ms. Antony administered the oath of office to the senior most member Radha V. Nair of the Congress. Most of the members had brought their family members along to witness the ceremony.
In Alappuzha
Our Staff Reporter writes from Alappuzha: Even as the mystery as to who would rule in three municipalities and at least five grama panchayats in the district continued, the newly-elected members of the municipalities, district panchayat, block panchayats and grama panchayats were sworn in at functions held at different places here on Monday.
While 23 new members were administered the oath to the district panchayat, 158 members were sworn into the 12 block panchayats and 186 members to the five municipalities.
The tally in the 73 grama panchayats was 1,186, taking the total to 1,553 members, 50 per cent of whom were women. Two panchayats, however, did not have the swearing-in ceremony on Monday. One was the Budhanur panchayat in Chengannur, where the tenure of the sitting governing body will be over only on November 1. T The other panchayat was Karuvatta. In the Alappuzha municipality, Revenue Divisional Officer and Returning Officer A.. Gopakumar administered the oath to Mani Teacher, councillor from the Mannathu ward and the senior-most member in the 52-member council, after which Ms. Mani administered the oath to the rest of the members.
In Idukki
A Correspondent writes from Kattappana: The swearing-in ceremony was held at the district panchayat auditorium at Painavu on Monday.
The senior-most member of the Pampadumpara division to the district panchayat K.T. Micheal was sworn-in before the Collector Ashok Kumar Singh. This was followed by Susheela (Munnar division), Mercy Joy (Adimaly), D.Kumar (Devikulam), Kochuthresya Paulose (Rajakkad), Shiny Saji (Murickassery), K.N.Murali (Nedumkandam), Mary Antony (Kattappana), M.M.Varghese (Vandanmedu), Suresh Babu (Vandiperiyar), M.T.Thomas (Wagamon), Jancy Shaji (Peerumade), Alex Kozhimala (Moolamattom), Sheela Stephen (Karimkunnam), Indu Sudhakaran (Karimannur) and Georgy George (Painavu).
