Mattathur political drama deepens as suspended Congress members hit back

The governmental turmoil successful the Mattathur grama panchayat showed nary signs of abating, with rebel Congress members stepping guardant to antagonistic the enactment leadership’s claims, adjacent arsenic the District Congress Committee (DCC) announced suspensions.

Addressing a property league present connected Sunday, panchayat president Tessy Thomas and expelled erstwhile DCC wide caput T.M. Chandran categorically denied allegations that Congress members had defected to the BJP. They described arsenic ‘blatantly false’ the DCC president’s assertion that a enactment whip had been issued for the president predetermination oregon that Congress members had formally joined the BJP. Mandalam president Shafi Kalluparambil and different ward members were besides contiguous astatine the property meet.

Mr. Chandran said the members had taken a wide and conscious governmental basal connected the alteration successful leadership. He alleged that the developments successful the president predetermination were the fallout of a ‘conspiracy’ by the CPI(M) to screen up corruption successful erstwhile ruling committees by allegedly ‘buying off’ Congress subordinate K.P. Ouseph.

50% chance

According to Mr. Chandran, 24 candidates contested nether the UDF banner, and with the Congress and LDF having adjacent spot of 10 members each, the presidency would person been decided by draw, giving either Mr. Ouseph oregon a CPI(M) nominee a 50% chance. “To destruct that uncertainty, the CPI(M) bought disconnected Mr. Ouseph,” helium alleged.

Mr. Chandran further said that erstwhile the president predetermination began, Mr. Ouseph’s sanction was projected by CPI(M) members, prompting Congress members to enactment guardant Tessy Thomas, an Independent candidate. He claimed BJP members whitethorn person voted for the Congress campaigner owed to their hostility towards the CPI(M). “Ms. Thomas secured 12 votes portion Mr. Ouseph got 11,” helium said.

The members besides said nary 1 had sought explanations from them and that they had not received immoderate ceremonial connection regarding expulsion from superior enactment membership. They insisted they would ne'er articulation the BJP and said the enactment of the enactment and the KPCC should intervene to resoluteness the situation successful Mattathur. They maintained that supporting an Independent president was based connected section governmental realities and nationalist sentiment, and that they had not adopted immoderate anti-party stance.

Suspension

Meanwhile, a DCC property merchandise announced the suspension of Mr. Chandran, Mr. Kalluparambil and 10 ward members for violating enactment guidelines and engineering ‘alleged’ wide defection successful Mattathur to align with the BJP. The enactment besides suspended Nidheesh A.M. and Sabetta Varghese for violating enactment directions by contesting the president and vice-president posts successful Chovannur grama panchayat.