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CPI-M panchayat president booted out in Kerala

The four-month-long Payyavur panchayat controversy in Kerala reached a decisive phase Wednesday when a no-confidence motion against Marxist president T M Joshi was passed by the panchayat council by six votes to four.

The council took up the motion, moved by Congress members as per the direction of the Kerala high court. But no observer was present to conduct the proceedings as the court wanted.

There was heavy security in and around the panchayat. No political leaders were allowed to cross into the area. Though newsmen were allowed to go near the panchayat office, the police pushed them back, resulting in disquiet for some time.

Annamma, the vice president of the panchayat, had resigned Monday without waiting for the opposition members to vote her out. She is a pro-Communist Party of India-Marxist independent.

UNI

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