Munnar Panchayat’s fifth president for four years

Newly elected Munnar Grama Panchayat President M. Manimozhi and UDF members. |Picture source: Special arrangement

The political drama that Munnar Grama Panchayat captured did not diminish, and was elected as the fifth president in just four years.

In the latest developments, Congressman M. Manimozhi won the presidential election in the office hall of Panchayat, with 11 votes, while Left Democratic Party (LDF) candidate Jyothi Satheesh Kumar won eight votes.

Elections must be held after former President Deepa Rajkumar resigns. Although Ms. Rajkumar initially resigned to Secretary Panchayat on February 29, she quickly withdrew her charges of coercion. Within two hours, she submitted a second letter claiming that her resignation was carried out under coercion and that her signature was forged by congressional workers. Secretary Panchayat forwarded the two letters to the state election commission, which allowed her to continue serving, although temporarily.

Subsequently, MPs filed a motion of distrust, which ultimately forced Ms. Rajkuma to step down. With Ms. Manimozhi’s election, Panchayat now has the fifth president of this semester. For Manimozhi, this is her second position in the role.

A total of 21 seats

The messy leadership talent reflects wider instability within Panchayat since the 2020 local agency elections, when the United Democratic Front (UDF) won a majority by winning 11 out of 21 seats. However, in January 2022, two UDF members, Praveena Ravikumar and M. Rajendran, defected to the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and caused tips in the balance of power. Ms. Ravikumar became president and Mr. Rajendran placed Panchayat under the control of the LDF.

Then came a series of defections. In August 2022, Thankmudy, a member of the Communist Party of India (CPI), joined the UDF, and in February 2023, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) V. BalachandranV. Balachandran [CPI(M)] Member, follow the example. UDF sensing opportunities, requiring a vote of trust. But before the vote, Secretary Panchayat received a letter of resignation from Mr Rajendran. However, later, Mr. Rakindland claimed that his signature was forged. The Election Commission temporarily allows him to maintain his position when reviewing the matter.

Disqualification

The legend reached another turning point in October 2023, when the state election commission formally disqualified Ms. Ravi Kumar and Mr. Rajinderland from the conversion. UDF seized this opportunity in 2024, successfully held a no-confidence vote and secured V. Balachandran’s vice presidential position.

Six months later, in February 2024, another confidence motion caused the UDF to formally regain control of Panchayat. Deepa Rajkumar was appointed president and did not resign shortly after a disputed situation.