The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] strategy to secure the presidency of Puthppady grama panchayat in the district appears to have paid off, going by the bypoll results declared on Friday.
In the bypoll, CPI(M) nominee P.R. Ragesh defeated Ayshakutty Sulthan of the Congress by a margin of 187 votes. He secured 859 votes. The NDA which was in the fray got just 19 votes.
The bypoll was necessitated as the CPI(M) withdrew its sitting member P.K. Shijal from the winnable ward of West Kaithapoyil and nominated Mr. Ragesh belonging to the Scheduled Caste community.
In the local body elections held in November 2015, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) had won 12 out of 21 wards. But the Left coalition had no winners from the Scheduled Caste community to be nominated to the reserved post of panchayat president. The Indian Union Muslim League-Congress combine had three SC members eligible to be nominated.
Soon after the results were announced, incumbent president Ambika Mangalath of the Congress party tendered her resignation. Earlier, Ms. Mangalath had resigned from the post when the LDF moved a no-confidence motion against her for non-performance. Later, K.K. Nandakumar of the IUML was sworn in as president of the local body. However Mr. Nandakumar quit the post after he got employed in a farming company three months ago. Subsequently, Ms. Mangalath occupied the post again.
Putthuppady grama panchayat has witnessed several crises in the last three years, including showdown between the IUML and the Congress party, boycotting of presidential election by the LDF, deferring presidential elections thrice and vice presidents occupying the president’s post.
At Onchiyam
Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) won the fifth ward of Onchiyam grama panchayat, thus retaining power in the local body. RMP nominee P. Sreejith, won the bypoll by defeating Rajaram Thaippalli of the CPI(M) by a margin of 308 votes.
At Kottoor
In Thamarassery Pallippuram ward of Kottoor grama panchayat, Sreenivasan Meppadi of the CPI (M) won by defeating his nearest rival of the IUML by a margin of 389 votes. The bypoll was necessitated as sitting member T.K. Raginlal of the CPI(M) quit following allegations of accepting bribe to suppress a mass agitation against a quarrying lobby at Chengottumala.