The Hindu 25.11.2010
Uncertainty over standing committee chairpersons
Staff Reporter
| Faction rivalry delays finalisation of names |
KOCHI: The uncertainty regarding the selection of standing committee chairpersons of the Congress in the Kochi Corporation continued till the late hours of Wednesday, the last day before the election.
The delay in finalising the candidates was the result of the insistence of the ‘I’ faction for adequate representation in the list. Though the Congress district leadership had reached an understanding regarding its list of candidates, the ‘I’ faction demanded one more chairperson post. The group alleged that the party leadership in the corporation had taken the decisions unilaterally.
The party had earlier decided to make T.J. Vinod, an ‘I’ faction nominee, as the chairman of the development standing committee. It was also decided to make Saumini Jain, the chairperson of the works standing committee and Suja Roy, the chairperson of the tax appeal committee. Opposing the selection, the ‘I’ group had demanded that one of its women nominees be made the chairperson of the works or tax appeal committee.
As the impasse continued, the party leadership decided to postpone the issuance of whip to its councillors to Thursday. Though the preparations for issuing the whip were completed on Wednesday itself, it was postponed, party leaders said.
Given the strength of the UDF in the council, the front is all set to comfortably win all the standing committees. There will be at least five nominees of the UDF and three of the LDF in each committee.
The eight standing committees were constituted last week and every member of the council will be a member of a committee.
K.J. Sohan of the Socialist Janata (Democratic) has been tipped to become the chairman of the town planning committee, T.K. Ashraf of the Indian Union Muslim League the head of the health standing committee and Essy Joseph of the Kerala Congress (M) the chairperson of the welfare committee. Deputy Mayor Bhadra Satish will be the head of the finance standing committee.
LDF demand
K.J. Jacob, the leader of the Opposition in the council, urged the civic authorities to initiate the tarring works of the potholed city roads. The bad shape of the city roads had invited criticism from the public and the media.
