Kochi: The set of guidelines that KPCC formed for the election of civic body chiefs will face he acid test in Kalamassery on Thursday when the Congress councilors meet to elect the chairperson of municipality. The councilors have revolted against the KPCC norms which stopped Rukhiya Jamal who had the support of majority of councilors from becoming the chairperson on the plea that she was a first-time councilor.
The guidelines, however, saved the Congress from allegations of payment seat that had the potential to rock the organisation like the way it did to the CPI after the Lok Sabha elections last year.
The candidature of a political greenhorn from West Kochi in the elections itself had come as a surprise to many party leaders in Ernakulam. “I also heard that money changed hands in the deal,” said a senior party leader from the city. “I sent a complaint to the KPCC president regarding this.”
Mr M V Sudheeran, who got several complaints on the issue, discussed it in the office-bearers meeting held last week and entrusted KPCC vice-president V D Satheesan with forming a set of guidelines to deny room for such allegations.
“The guidelines were clear,” said KPCC general secretary P M Suresh Babu who was the party observer for the election process. “It insisted that with persons with party or administrative experience be given preference over new comers. I had strict instructions from the KPCC president to ensure that the norms are followed. I did my job.”
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