The Hindu 10.11.2010
Prasanna Earnest assumes office as Mayor of Kollam Corporation
Staff Reporter
| CPI member G. Lalu elected Deputy Mayor |
Start of term:District Collector Devendrakumar Dhudawat places the mayoral robe on Kollam Mayor Prasanna Earnest after she was sworn in
KOLLAM: Prasanna Earnest of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was elected the new Mayor of Kollam on Tuesday at the maiden session of the newly elected Kollam Corporation council.
In a separate session of the council held after the election of Ms. Earnest as Mayor, CPI member G. Lalu was elected Deputy Mayor.
Immediately after her election was formally declared by the District Collector and Returning Officer Devendrakumar Dhudawat, Ms. Earnest took charge of the post at a public function held within the Corporation headquarters complex. Mr. Lalu also took charge of his post later.
In the 55-member council, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has 34 members with the CPI(M) having 20 members. The district committee of the party had earlier selected her as the LDF’s mayoral candidate. Ms. Earnest was elected from the Thamarakulam division and Mr. Lalu from the Mangad division.
When the councillors met at 11 a.m. to elect the new Mayor, Mr. Lalu proposed Ms. Earnest’s name and was seconded by RSP member S. Meenakumari representing the Shakthikulangara division.
An election was warranted when Indian Union Muslim League councillor Majida Wahad representing the Kayyalakkal division proposed the name of O. Jayasree of the Congress, representing the Kadappakada division as the mayoral candidate of the United Democratic Front (UDF). Her name was seconded by Udaya Sukumaran of the Congress representing the Punnathala division.
The UDF has 19 members in the council. The council also has a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member and an Independent (Congress rebel). The councillors were told that they should put an “X” mark against the name of the candidate they intend voting and also sign on the reverse side of the ballot along with their names.
When the results were announced, the LDF received 34 votes and the UDF its 19 votes. But the other two votes were declared invalid. Though PDP member M. Kamaluddeen representing the Koottikada division voted for Ms. Earnest, instead of the “X” mark he had put a tick mark against her name and this rendered his vote invalid. Independent member G. Satheesh Kumar representing the Palakadavu division deposited his ballot in the ballot box without voting for anyone and thereby rendering his vote invalid.
At the council session held in the afternoon, Mr. Lalu’s name as the LDF candidate for the Deputy Mayor’s post was proposed by CPI(M) member M. Noushad representing the Ayathil division and seconded by Leelamma of the RSP representing the Chathinamkulam division.
Immediately, Stanley Vincent of the RSP(B) representing Meenathuchery division proposed the name of Prem Ushar of the JSS representing the Amman Nada division and the proposal was seconded by C.V. Anil Kumar of the Congress representing the Cantonment division.
When the votes were counted, Mr. Lalu received 35 votes and Mr. Ushar 19 votes. Mr. Kamaluddeen had voted for Mr. Lalu. Mr. Satheesh Kumar’s ballot was seen to be blank this time too.
The oath of office was administered to Ms. Earnest by Dr. Dhudawat. Ministers P.K. Gurudasan, M.A. Baby and N.K. Premachandran were present. A huge crowd of supporters cheered Ms. Earnest as she took the oath. Ms. Earnest was accorded a special welcome by the former SFI activists.
