KC(M) wrests dist panchayat prez post from Cong with CPI-M support

CPI(M) today supported a nominee of Kerala Congress (M), a former rpt former constituent in the opposition Congress-led UDF, to help the party headed by former minister K M Mani to wrest the Kottayam District Panchayat president post from the Congress.
Kerala Congress (M) nominee ZakhariasKuthiravelil secured 12 votes while Congress nominee Sunny Pambady could secure only eight votes in the 22-member district panchayat.
CPI(M) with six elected members supported the KC(M) nominee while a lone representative of the CPI in the council abstained from voting.
KC(M), which fought the panchayat elections held two years ago as an ally of the UDF, are having six elected representatives.Another member belonging to a group led by Poonjar MLA P C George made her vote invalid.

Election to the post was necessitated following Congress nominee Joshi Philip quitting the post after he was made the Congress Kottayam district president.
Philip was elected president of the district panchayat with the support of the Kerala Congress (M) two years ago.
Kottayam DCC sources said Congress, which expected support of the Kerala Congress (M) in the election, felt "cheated" and slammed KC (M) for hobnobbing with the CPI(M).
The DCC also said Kerala Congress (M) nominees who won elections held to various bodies, including assembly and Parliament, with the support of the Congress and other UDF allies have no right to continue in the respective posts.