Two months after being ousted from power following a non-confidence motion, the Left Democratic Front has returned to power at the Panachikkad grama panchayat near here with E.R. Sunil Kumar of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) being elected as the president of the local body on Friday.
Vinila Biju, a member of the CPI, was elected vice president. The Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and the lone Bharath Dharma Jana Sena member boycotted the election seeking removal of the returning officer, who had allegedly attempted to sabotage the election earlier.
In the 23-member local body, the Congress has nine members and the BJP, three. The panchayat, ruled by the LDF, witnessed fresh elections to the council following a no-confidence motion moved by the Congress on August 30.
Though the Election Commission (EC) had decided to conduct the elections on September 22, the returning officer said that he did not receive the intimation in time.
Following this, election was suspended and the returning officer was censured by the EC after a complaint by the Congress parliamentary party leader Roy Mathew. The election to the council was suspended for the second time on October 25 after the Congress abstained, demanding removal of the returning officer.
Though the Opposition parties boycotted the elections on the second consecutive day, rules permitted the returning officer to conduct the election.