UDF loses power in Vembayam panchayat, alleges LDF-BJP nexus

The United Democratic Front (UDF) lost power in Vembayam grama panchayat with the no-confidence motion moved by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) members getting passed on Friday (October 4, 2024), with three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members also supporting the move. The Congress party accused the LDF of being involved in an unholy nexus with the BJP.

The Vembayam grama panchayat has 21 members, with nine belonging to the UDF, eight from the LDF, three from the BJP and one member from the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). The LDF members had moved the no-confidence motion accusing the ruling front of indulging in corrupt practices, in the context of a fire incident at the Assistant Engineer’s office located near the panchayat office around a month ago.

“Some key files from the past ten years were lost in the fire at the AE’s office. The electrical inspector had ruled out a short circuit as a reason for the fire. The incident happened at a time when we were raising complaints regarding indiscriminate quarrying and razing down of hills in the panchayat area. This is the third no-confidence motion that the LDF has brought in over the past four years. In the past two instances, the BJP members took part in the discussions but did not vote. This time, they voted because they probably felt that they could face a backlash in the upcoming elections if they supported the ruling front,” said CPI(M) member B. Asokan.

However, panchayat president Beena Jayan rubbished these allegations and alleged that the LDF leadership has arrived at an understanding with the BJP.

“The UDF won this time after a gap of 25 years. They have used a fire incident at a 26-year old building to bring in a no-confidence motion. None of the files have been lost as we have digital copies in the Integrated Local Self-Governance Management System (ILGMS). I have submitted a complaint to the Chief Minister and the DGP demanding an impartial probe into the incident,” said Ms. Jayan.

The three BJP members were not available for comment.

Published - October 04, 2024 08:20 pm IST