In an unprecedented development, Roy Philip of the Kerala Congress (KC) was unanimously nominated as president of Kozhencherry grama panchayat on Monday.
In an election held to the 13-member panchayat council in the morning, Mr. Philip received support from both the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Left Democratic Front (LDF) members. Two members of the Bharatiya Janata Party, meanwhile, abstained from the proceedings.
The name of Mr. Philip to the president’s post was nominated by the previous president Jiji Varghese, a UDF member, and Bijo P. Mathew of the LDF. The nomination was seconded by Congress member Rani Koshi and Bijili P. Easow of the CPI(M). Following the election, Mr. Phillip was declared of having won the election unopposed.
Interestingly, it was Mr. Phillip who had moved a no-trust motion against Ms. Varghese, the previous UDF president, accusing her of violating a seat-sharing agreement within the UDF. Following this, she stepped down from the post.
Though Mr. Philip had already secured the LDF’s support to contest for the president’s post, the UDF made an unprecedented move at the last minute to declare him as their candidate as well. Following this, the Congress-led coalition also issued a whip to all its members, including those of the KC, to vote for Mr. Phillip.
Soon after the election, both the fronts staked claim over the new president. Mr. Phillip, however, held that he would serve as the president of both the UDF and the LDF .
The LDF and UDF has five members each in the panchayat council.
