KOCHI
: For the first time, Kuttampuzha, a local body in Ernakulam with predominant tribal population, would have a tribeswoman as president.
Though the post of the panchayat president was not reserved for women,
Kanthi Vellakkayyan
, who won on UDF ticket from the Pooyamkutty ward, was chosen for the post as two other candidates of the front, which wrested control of the local body from the LDF, failed to win. Since the post of the president was reserved for men the mantle fell on Vellakkayyan, who successfully contested a second term, albeit from a different ward.
“There are many things to be done. I will decide on priorities after discussing with others,” said Vellakkayyan, who took the oath on Monday. She was first elected on UDF ticket from ward number 6 in 2015.
Interestingly, Vellakkayyan had contested against Chandrika, who is the daughter of her brother and a candidate of the LDF. The post of the vice-president is also reserved for woman and therefore both the people’s representatives at the helm of the panchayat would be women.
Congress mandalam president Francis Chalil said the front is yet to take a decision on the vice-president candidate. UDF has won 10 out of the 17 wards in the panchayat, which has seven tribal hamlets.
Every election year there are segments who call for a poll boycott because many of their development dreams have remained unfulfilled. The most prominent among them is the call for construction of a permanent bridge at Manikandanchal. It only takes a good rain to flood the ‘chappath’, a temporary structure across the river.
None of the tribal hamlets have proper roads as the forest department had been denying permission for the same. Around 17% of the population of Kuttampuzha belong to tribal families. Lack of proper health facilities is also a concern.
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