UDF, BJP members walk out of council meet

Councillors of both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the United Democratic Front (UDF), walked out of a city Corporation council meeting on Friday in protest against Mayor Arya Rajendran not taking part in a general body meeting of working groups ahead of the preparation of the People’s Plan for the year. Though the council meeting was convened to discuss the draft proposals for the 2021-22 annual Plan, the proposals never became a point of discussion. The Opposition councillors demanded that the Mayor apologise for skipping the meeting to take part in CPI(M) party event. Ms. Rajendran refuted these allegations and said that she could not take part in the meeting as she had to take part in a training programme organised by the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) as well as an organisational event. The Deputy Mayor, who was supposed to chair the meeting in her absence, could not do so because of ill health. Yet, the meeting went ahead as per schedule and the Mayor was apprised of the proceedings. She maintained that it was not improper to organise the working group meeting in the absence of the Mayor.