CPM rebellion leaves LDF council on shaky ground in Wayanad's Poothadi panchayat

Kalpetta: The internal rift in the CPM's Wayanad unit has put the LDF administration of Poothadi grama panchayat in jeopardy, with the UDF moving no-confidence motions against both the panchayat president and vice president.

The 23-member panchayat administrative body has 10 members each of the LDF and UDF, while the BJP has three members. The CPM-led LDF's position has become precarious following a rebellion by two CPM leaders who declared in public that they would not to cooperate with the party leadership in future.

The CPM had managed to contain its internal differences in the run-up to the local body elections and retain control of the panchayat. The party had also attempted to bring back into its fold a group of leaders led by A V Jayan, former Wayanad district president of the Karshaka Sangham, the farmers' organisation of the CPM. Jayan and other leaders had walked out of a party meeting held at Pulppally, alleging a vindictive approach by the party leadership.

The reconciliation paved the way for Jayan and former Karshaka Sangham district secretary A M Prasad to contest the local body elections. Both won. However, the CPM leadership refused Jayan, a former panchayat president, any significant position. Though the sidelined leaders supported party candidates in the election for panchayat president and vice president, they were denied chairmanships of even standing committees.

The approach further antagonised the two leaders, who later declared that they would no longer cooperate with the party. Their withdrawal of support has reduced the effective strength of the CPM-led administration to eight in the 23-member panchayat, putting the LDF in a difficult position.

Meanwhile, Jayan told Onmanorama that the possibility of a compromise with the party was over. “We will not support the CPM-led administration in the panchayat. We have sacrificed much, yet a section of the party leadership is still trying to suppress and sideline us. We cannot remain victims of such a undemocratic and dictatorial system anymore,” he said.

Even if the LDF manages to secure the support of all three BJP members, it would have only 11 members, still one short of the 12 required for a majority in the 23-member body. However, the CPM and BJP leaderships have ruled out any possibility of a tie-up in the panchayat, as such an arrangement could have adverse political repercussions for both parties at the district and State levels.

The UDF handed over the notice for a no-confidence motion against panchayat president E.K. Balakrishnan to the authorities on Tuesday. On Thursday, it submitted another notice Block Panchayat Secretary A.R. Sreejith, seeking a no-confidence motion against vice president Bindu Babu too.

The UDF had initially planned to move the no-confidence motion only against the president, assuming that the vice president would resign automatically if the president was removed. The UDF leadership later changed its strategy and decided to move separate motions against both the president and vice president.

The developments have upset political equations in Poothadi panchayat, with the outcome of the no-confidence motions likely to determine whether the LDF can retain control of the local body.