Despite CPI criticisms, mayor remains defiant

Thrissur: CPI district leadership expressed displeasure over LDF-backed Thrissur mayor M K Varghese showering praises on BJP MP Suresh Gopi, who is now a Union minister. CPI leaders feel that some of the mayor’s statements favouring Gopi had contributed to party nominee V S Sunilkumar’s debacle in Thrissur parliament constituency.
CPI district secretary K K Valsaraj said on Tuesday that the party’s preliminary analysis indicates that the mayor’s controversial remarks may have contributed in jacking up Gopi’s vote share in Thrissur assembly.CPI had not yet sought Varghese’s replacement, he said.
During election campaigning, Varghese had received Gopi in the mayor’s chamber and had said that he (Gopi) was fit to be an MP. The mayor had then said that Gopi allocated Rs 1 crore for Thrissur’s development from his MP fund as a Rajya Sabha member. There were resentments within LDF against the mayor’s praise for the BJP candidate when election campaign was at its peak. Congress functionaries had criticized that the mayor’s observations were part of a CPM-BJP deal to ensure Gopi’s victory. After election results were declared, the mayor had met Gopi at a hotel. Interestingly, Gopi had polled a very high vote share in Thrissur assembly segment.
Speaking after a meeting with Valsaraj on Tuesday, CPM district secretary M M Varghese said he would ask the mayor about the allegations. Accordingly, the mayor met the CPM district secretary at the party office. Subsequently, the mayor told the media that he had no special relation with Gopi. He said his relation with Gopi was only as between a mayor and MP. He said his meetings with Gopi were only accidental.
The mayor said he was not planning to resign as demanded by some. “I have not even thought about resigning,” he said. He said CPM had made him the mayor, and he wouldn’t act against the directives of the party and LDF.
Meanwhile, CPM is in a delicate situation in Thrissur. LDF will lose power in the corporation if Varghese who was elected to the council as a Congress rebel, chooses to sever ties with it.