Maya Rahul elected Pala municipal chairperson with 16 votes

KOTTAYAM: Maya Rahul has been elected the new chairperson of the Pala Municipality. She secured 16 votes to defeat UDF candidate Riya Cheeramkuzhy by a margin of six votes. All 26 councillors participated in the election.

This marks Maya's second victory in the Pala Municipal Council. She represents Ward 19, while Riya is the councillor from Ward 8. Maya contested as an independent candidate with the support of the LDF and rebel Congress councillors.

The election was held after the UDF lost control of the municipality following the passage of an LDF-sponsored no-confidence motion against former chairperson Diya Binu. The rift within the ruling side began after Congress councillors and independent deputy chairperson Maya Rahul fell out with a group of independent councillors led by Diya Binu. With the situation turning in its favour, the opposition LDF moved the no-confidence motion.

Diya lost the chairperson's post after the motion was passed. The UDF had been governing the municipality with a slender majority of one member. Of the 26 seats, 14 were required for a simple majority. Seventeen members supported the no-confidence motion. Congress councillors who attended the meeting in violation of the party whip, along with Maya Rahul, also backed the LDF-sponsored motion.