The Hindu : Congressman is Kochi Dy. Mayor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 21, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Congressman is Kochi Dy. Mayor

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI NOV. 20. The UDF candidate, T. J. Vinod, today wrested the Deputy Mayor's post from the LDF in the Kochi Corporation with the "unconditional support" of the BJP.

Mr. Vinod defeated the LDF candidate and the CPI (M) councillor, K. J. Antony, by a margin of two votes in the election conducted at the Corporation council hall.

It is after a hiatus of nearly 23 years that a Congressman has succeeded in becoming the Deputy Mayor of the Kochi Corporation, which is considered the citadel of the Left Front. The unconditional support of the two-member BJP contingent for the UDF candidate came during the final minutes before the voting.

Later, talking to mediapersons, the BJP parliamentary party leader, Syamala S. Prabhu, said that the party had decided to unconditionally support the Congress candidate for ending what she termed "Marxist misrule" and for ensuring the comprehensive development of the Corporation.

The BJP had abstained from voting two years ago when the council had met to elect the Mayor, paving way for the Marxist Mayor, C. M. Dinesh Mani, to continue in the council for the fifth consecutive term.

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