Kalamassery municipal chairperson, Opposition councillors on collision course

LDF members lay siege to Seema Kannan’s cabin; 19 arrested

Kalamassery municipal chairperson Seema Kannan and the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) councillors seem to be on a collision course with both sides continuing to trade charges and neither willing to relent.

For the second day running, tension erupted in the chairperson’s cabin as the LDF councillors laid siege to it for two hours and Ms. Kannan asked the Kalamassery Station House Officer to arrest them. Following this, 19 protesting councillors were arrested and removed from her cabin. Later in the day, she petitioned the District Police Chief (Kochi City), accusing LDF councillors of trying to physically harm her and stop her from discharging her constitutional duties.

Acrimonious scenes were witnessed after the ruling and Opposition councillors almost came to blows in the chairperson’s cabin over the premature dismissal of the council meeting and unilateral passage of the agenda on Wednesday.