‘Partymen expected guideline for appointments’
Soumini Jain and Shiny Mathew greet each other after the swearing-in-ceremony at Kochi Corporation on Thursday. (Photo: DC)
KOCHI: The KPCC is understood to have suggested to the Ernakulam district Cong-ress Committee on Thursday that Shyni Mathew and Grace Babu Jacob may occupy the post of Kochi mayor for two-and-a-half years each if the factions supporting the two candidates failed to reach an agreement.
The KPCC also directed the DCC to ensure that the issue is solved without causing heartburns to either faction. Congress sources said KPCC leaders held an informal meeting after the executive committee meeting on the issue.
They also took notice of the complaints that Shyni Mathew is of no political standing and that she has been imposed on the party due to pressure being exerted by certain leaders.
With the KPP leadership showing green signal to the two councilors, the chances of T.J. Vinod becoming deputy mayor have become thin as he belongs to the community to which the two women candidates do.
The Nair Service Society is understood to have conveyed to Prof K.V. Thomas, MP, its demand to make K.V.P Krishna Kumar the depu-ty mayor while A.B. Sabu is being supported by ‘A’ Group.
While Benny Beh-nan, MLA’s personal nominee is M.B. Muraleedharan, senior leader P.C. Chacko has put his weight behind KPCC secretary M. Premachandran.
Meanwhile, Mr Vinod told DC that the party workers expected the KPCC to issue a common guideline for appointment of heads of local bodies based on which the district leadership of the party can zero in on the right persons.
Major leaders of the party continued to keep a studied silence on the issue while a leader requ-esting anonymity said that Prof K.V. Thomas has informed the KPCC leadership of the division of councilors into ‘I’ and ‘A’ groups and their plans to promote own candidates and requested it not to support it.
This is understood to have boosted the chances of the green horn Shiny Mathew, though it has reportedly upset the workers at the grassroot-level.
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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