UDF candidate Kala Raju wins Koothattukulam Municipal Election 

KOCHI: UDF candidate Kala Raju won the Koothattukulam Municipal chairperson election. The UDF won the Koothattukulam municipal election by 13 votes against 12. Vijaya Sivan was the LDF candidate. Kala Raju was a former CPM councilor. The Koothattukulam municipal election gained attention in the context of the kidnapping controversy that occurred in January.

When the no-confidence motion brought by the UDF against the LDF governing council was to be discussed, the councilor who had come to the meeting was kidnapped then. The council meeting could not be covnened due to the ensuing conflict. Kala Raju was released and two CPM workers were arrested in connection with the incident. Kala Raju had levelled serious allegations against the LDF for disrupting the no-confidence motion discussion and kidnapping.

The UDF brought again the no-confidence motion in the municipality earlier this month. Kala Raju then voted for the UDF. The LDF lost power when independent member Sunil Kumar also stood with the UDF. The UDF won by 13 votes against 11. The governing body, which had a majority with the LDF front, was defeated that day. In the 25-member council, the party composition was 13 for the LDF, 11 for the UDF, and one independent. However, with the support of Kala Raju and Sunil Kumar, the no-confidence motion was passed. Elections were held following that.