Thrissur: Four CPI (M) panchayat presidents, who were elected to the post with the support of UDF and SDPI, resigned minutes after being elected.

The resignations took place at Avinissery in Thrissur, Thiruvanvandoor in Alappuzha, Kottangal in Pathanamthitta and Pangode in Thiruvananthapuram.  

In Avinissery, the BJP had won 6 seats while LDF won 3 and UDF won 3 respectively. With the backing of UDF, A. R. Raju, the LDF candidate won the election for panchayat president. But Raju resigned minutes later.

Meanwhile, the UDF alleged that the LDF action was to help the BJP. As the LDF panchayat president rejected UDF’s backing, the panchayat president’s post will be the BJPs. The saffron party had been ruling the panchayat.

In Thiruvanvandoor, the BJP was the largest single party but LDF won the panchayat president’s post. However, the LDF decided that they didn’t need UDF’s support. Following this, the LDF nominee resigned the president’s post.

In Kottangal, both the LDF and BJP had won 5 seats each. UDF won 2 seats while SDPI won 1 seat. Binu Joseph, the CPI (M) nominee who won the panchayat president’s post with the support of SDPI, resigned immediately.

In Pangode also the LDF nominee, who won the panchayat president’s post with the support of SDPI, resigned immediately.