Date:17/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/17/stories/2008071753990500.htm

Kerala - Alappuzha

Mavelikara civic chief ousted

Staff Reporter

ALAPPUZHA: The Mavelikara Municipal Council, the only municipality held by the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the district, plunged into a political crisis with internal feuds in the Congress leading to the ouster of municipal chairperson Lalitha Raveendranath on Wednesday.

Ms. Raveendranath, who is a member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and State general secretary of the Mahila Congress, was ousted through a no-confidence motion in the 25-member council.

The council’s original composition had 16 UDF members, eight LDF members and one Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member.

Among them, the motion was supported by eight UDF rebel councillors, who joined hands with the Left Democratic Front to vote against Ms. Raveendranath. The BJP councillor did not vote while eight UDF councillors abstained from the procedure.