5 months ago
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Marking a watershed infinitesimal successful the city’s governmental history, the Kollam Corporation entered a caller epoch connected Friday arsenic Congress councillor A.K. Hafeez assumed bureau arsenic the first-ever Mayor from the United Democratic Front (UDF). The modulation signifies the extremity of a quarter-century of uninterrupted governance by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and a large realignment successful the region’s governmental landscape.
The mayoral predetermination commenced connected Friday greeting astatine the Corporation assembly hall, presided implicit by District Collector and returning serviceman N. Devidas.
Mr. Hafeez, representing the Thamarakkulam division, emerged victorious with 27 votes, comfortably defeating LDF campaigner P.J. Rajendran, who secured 16 votes. Immediately pursuing the ceremonial declaration of the results, Mr. Devidas administered the oath of bureau to Mr. Hafeez, officially marking the commencement of his word arsenic Mayor.
During the day session, the assembly elected Udaya Sukumaran of the Tangassery part arsenic the Deputy Mayor. Mirroring the mayoral results, she secured 27 of the 56 votes polled. In a ceremonial symbolising the commencement of the caller administration, Mr. Hafeez administered the oath of bureau to his deputy.
Her assignment followed a bid of aggravated deliberations wrong the UDF coalition. Although confederation partners had initially championed candidates specified arsenic Shaima (RSP) and Majida Wahab (IUML), the deadlock was resolved done a phased power-sharing agreement. Under this arrangement, Ms. Sukumaran, a seasoned Congress councillor, volition clasp the bureau for the archetypal 3 years, aft which the presumption volition beryllium transferred to conjugation partners for the remaining 2 years of the five-year term.
In the 2025 section assemblage elections, the UDF had secured a historical landslide triumph successful a territory agelong regarded arsenic an impregnable LDF fortress. By capturing 27 of the 56 divisions, the conjugation achieved a singular reversal of fortune, a stark opposition to its underwhelming show successful the 2020 polls.
The caller Mayor steps into his relation with a proven way grounds successful section governance. A seasoned governmental figure, helium had antecedently served arsenic the Leader of the Opposition successful the assembly from 2015 to 2020 and astatine contiguous leads the Indian National Trade Union Congress arsenic its territory president.
