UDF abstains from voting; mayor survives no-trust motion

KOCHI: The litmus test set by the Left Democratic Front to vote out Soumini Jain from the post of Kochi Mayor through a no-confidence motion failed to yield result with the ruling UDF councillors abstaining from the council session on Thursday.

As per the instruction of the UDF leadership in the district, 38 UDF councillors stayed away from the council proceeding which resulted in defeating the LDF with a clear majority. Out of 34 LDF members, 33 councillors voted in favour of the motion whereas KM Hamsakunju didn’t attend the voting due to health issues. District Collector S Suhas chaired the special council session meeting which started at 2.30 pm. 
Since the Corporation has 74 councillors, attendance of 38 councillors is required to pass the no-confidence motion. However, the voting started with the Collector stating that full quorum was not needed for voting. 

Though the BJP extended all support to the LDF during the council discussion, two BJP members - Syamala S Prabhu and Sudha Dileep Kumar - abstained from voting. As per the earlier plan, the voting for the motion was held through open ballot in which the councillors have to put a tick mark along with their name and signature. 

Earlier while holding the discussion, the LDF councillors came down heavily against Mayor alleging corruption and the snail pace of several projects.

“The UDF has a majority of 38 members but they are afraid to face the no-confidence motion. Even the UDF also issued whip to the councillors to stay away from the council proceedings. It is crystal clear that many of the UDF councillors are against the Mayor. The party leadership denied them right to exercise their voting power. In the last council meeting, seven councillors signed a dissent note against the Mayor for allowing a private contractor to withdraw Rs 91.22 lakh security deposit for construction work at Mattanchery. It is clear that several Congress councillors are upset with the Mayor’s unilateral decisions. If they were allowed to attend the voting, the result might have been in favour of the LDF,” said KJ Antony, the Opposition leader who started the discussion. 

Meanwhile, V P Chandran, secretary, LDF Parliamentary Party, said the UDF rule in Kochi Corporation was a failure. 

“The Mayor has turned the Corporation into a hub of corruption. The public was denied basic services. Several Central Government-funded projects also failed to take off in the city. There are no projects to highlight the benefit of the ruling council. Those started are not fully implemented. Whether it is Smart City mission projects or state-funded projects, all are moving at a snail’s pace,” said Chandran. 

“I am one of the senior-most councillors in Kochi Corporation. I have experience of nearly three decades. But I haven’t faced such a worse council in my political journey,” Prabhu said.