More than a year after the passing of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Puthuppally panchayat in Kottayam has become the centre of a raging confrontation between the Congress and the CPI(M) over the late leader’s legacy.
The episode began to unfold with the Left Democratic Front (LDF)-governed administrative council of the local body deciding to name the newly constructed panchayat community hall, which is slated for inauguration on Tuesday (September 24,2024) after E.M.S. Namboodiripad, Kerala’s first Communist Chief Minister. The Congress, however, objected to this, arguing that the building should be named in honour of Oommen Chandy, who represented the Puthuppally constituency for 53 consecutive years and also served as the Chief Minister.
Despite the objection raised by the Congress, the panchayat council has remained firm in its decision. Irked by this, the Congress on Monday staged a day-long sit-in, vowing to continue demonstrations until the local body reverses its stance. Senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan inaugurated the protest, which was led by Congress Mandalam president Sam K. Varkey.
“The CPI(M) is clearly wary of the legacy left by Oommen Chandy, who represented Puthuppally for over five decades. Not even the name of E.M.S. Namboodiripad, Kerala’s first Chief Minister, can diminish the influence Oommen Chandy continues to have on this constituency, even a year after his passing,” said Mr. Radhakrishnan, in his address.
The CPI(M), on the other hand, has stood its ground, firmly stating that there will be no reversal of its decision to name the hall after EMS. “This building had been abandoned for decades under Congress rule. It was the current LDF council that revived and completed the project, spending around ₹62 lakh. Not a single rupee from the MLA fund was spent on this. The local body has every right to decide its name,” said Ponnamma Chandran, president of the local body.
In a bid to placate the protesters, the CPI(M) has proposed naming the upcoming mini-civil station building after Oommen Chandy. This gesture, however, has done little to quell the protests.
Puthuppally panchayat, long regarded as a Congress stronghold, swung to the Left in the most recent local body elections. In the 18-member panchayat council, the LDF holds nine seats, including two independents, while the UDF has six members.
Published - September 23, 2024 07:28 pm IST
