Kochi: Opposition in the Kochi corporation council will submit a letter to district collector S. Suhas on Thursday expressing no confidence in mayor Soumini Jain and calling for initiating necessary formalities to facilitate moving a no-confidence motion in the council.
A meeting of the allies of the LDF held on Wednesday has decided to take the step in the wake of "series of allegations raised against her".
The UDF with 38 seats enjoys a thin majority in the 74-member council.
Seven UDF councillors including former health committee chairperson V.K. Minimol had expressed their dissent in a recent council meeting over the permission given by the mayor to a contractor of the Rajiv Awas Yojana to withdraw the security amount he had deposited with the corporation.
According to the opposition and the dissident UDF councillors, the mayor's anticipatory approval, without discussing in council, for the contractor to withdraw the security deposit of Rs 91.22 lakh amounted to corruption and nepotism.
While the 34 opposition members and BJP councillor Syamala S. Prabhu sought a probe by the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau into the incident, the seven UDF members gave their dissent in writing.
As the internal feud in the ruling bench intensified over the incident, the opposition has decided to make the most of the opportunity.
Though the ruling UDF has been ridden with internal bickering for long with the demand for changing the mayor, it is for the first time that the opposition is moving a no-confidence motion against Ms. Jain.
