Political chaos in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation shows no sign of abating. Even after a second try, only seven of the eight standing committees could be formed on Friday. 
On January 7, the day scheduled for the election to standing committees, only three standing committees -- Welfare, Town Planning and Tax Appeal -- could be formed. 

The process could not be completed even on the reserve day because the BJP altered its strategy and made amends for its impulsive behaviour on January 7.  On that day, refusing to let the CPM control even a relatively unimportant standing committee, the BJP had stuffed the Tax Appeal Standing Committee with more councillors than it could spare.

A BJP-LDF tie was the result, with five members each. The chairman post could have gone either way, as it would have been decided by a draw of lots on January 14, the day slotted for the election of standing committee heads. Not only could the BJP ensure control of the Tax Appeal, but by deploying more councillors in this committee, it opened up a chance for the CPM to snatch any of the other important standing committees like Health or Public Works. 

The BJP's January 7 miscalculation was the result of the thinking that the CPM and the Congress could, at a later date, shake hands and usurp control of two or three standing committees. The Town Planning Standing Committee, for instance, now has six BJP, 5 LDF and 1 UDF members. If the opposition decides to come together, the BJP can lose control. This possibility compelled BJP strategists to have seven or eight members in a committee. 

The realisation that it did not have the numbers dawned late. The BJP, even with the support of an independent councillor, has only 51 members. This means it has only six members on an average to spare for the eight committees. If seven or eight are deployed in two or three committees, it would leave just four or even three for other committees. 

If the CPM, with 29 members, decides to pack seven members in a crucial standing committee like Health, the BJP will have no choice but to cede control.   

So on Friday, two BJP councillors resigned from the tax Appeal Standing Committee and filed nominations to two other unformed standing committees, Public Works and Health. In short, the BJP sacrificed the Tax Appeal to bag the remaining seven. Now, the Tax Appeal, which was declared formed on January 7, is short by two members. 

In all probability, it will be led by the CPM as the number of BJP members in the committee has lowered to three and the LDF has five. The Tax Appeal Standing Committee's formation will be kept in abeyance till a notification is issued by the Kerala State Election Commission. 

On Friday, there was an election to the Public Works Standing Committee as 14 councillors had given their nominations to the committee with a preset strength of 13. A CPM councillor lost.

There was no election to the other four standing committees -- Finance, Development, Health, Education-Sports -- as the nominations equalled the strength of these committees. Now, the BJP is the single largest party in all standing committees except the Tax Appeal.

The CPM member who had lost in the election to gain entry to the Public Works Standing  Committee will, at a later date, after the SEC issues a notification, be included in the Tax Appeal Standing Committee, which is now short by two members.

The winner of the election to the Vizhinjam Ward, where the election had been postponed owing to the death of a candidate, will also be included in the Tax Appeal. The election to the Vizhinjam ward will be held on January 12.