Fronts finalise president, vice-president nominees in most of Ernakulam’s coastal panchayats

A clear picture has emerged regarding the president and vice-president posts in most of the seven coastal grama panchayats in Ernakulam district. Presidents of the grama, block and district panchayats will be elected at 10.30 a.m. on December 27. The vice-presidents will be elected at 2.30 p.m. the same day.

In the Pallippuram grama panchayat, a stronghold of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) where it retained power, Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader E.K. Jayan, who previously served as a standing committee chairperson in the Vypeen block panchayat, would be sworn in as president. Ramani Ajayan, who was the panchayat president in the previous term, is likely to be appointed vice-president.

Liji Thadhevus will assume office as president in Kuzhuppilly, one of the smaller grama panchayats in the Vypeen block, where the United Democratic Front (UDF) wrested power from the Left Democratic Front (LDF). P.J. Anirudhan, Congress Kuzhuppilly mandalam president, and M.M. Pramukhan, who was formerly the panchayat president, are equally poised to become the vice-president. The candidate who misses out is expected to become chairperson of a key standing committee.

Edavanakkad

In the Edavanakkad grama panchayat, where the LDF came to power thanks to infighting within the Congress, K.A Saajith, CPI(M) Vypeen area committee member, is likely to be sworn in as the president. The area committee had declared him the probable candidate from the outset, an unusual move for the CPI(M). Mr. Saajith previously served as vice-president of the Vypeen block panchayat. Mini Purushothaman, wife of former MLA M.K. Purushothaman, is likely to be the vice-president candidate, though three young women ward members are also in contention.

Equally poised

A coin toss has become inevitable to decide the winner in the Njarakkal grama panchayat as the UDF and the LDF are tied with eight seats each, while the lone other member belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Neither front is willing to ally with the BJP, making the toss inevitable. The outcome could see either front winning both posts, losing both, or sharing one each, as every combination remains possible.

Despite facing corruption allegations during his previous tenure as the vice-president, Joby Varghese is the likely presidential candidate in the Nayarambalam grama panchayat, where the UDF retained power. However, Scheduled Castes communities are demanding consideration of senior leader and Congress mandalam president N.R. Gireeshan, citing the lack of representation for their community in any panchayat in the Vypeen block. A woman from the dominant Ezhava community may be chosen vice-president.

In the Elamkunnapuzha grama panchayat, Benny Bernard is expected to be the presidential candidate after senior leader K.G. Dono, the party’s preferred choice, lost the election due to rebels. A decision is yet to be made on the vice-president candidate.

Chellanam

In the 22-member Chellanam grama panchayat, where all 15 winning candidates belong to the Congress, the president’s post is likely to be shared between Jessy Augustine and Ammini Joseph two and a half years each. Peter Sheen has emerged as the vice-president candidate.