T’puram: The BJP-led Thiruvananthapuram corporation council on Friday approved a six-month leave application submitted by Vazhottukonam BJP councillor R Sugathan, who is currently lodged in Viyyur Central Jail under preventive detention under Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (Kaapa). With this, the governing council has overcome the crisis on the disqualification issue of the councillor.The leave application was passed after a show of hands secured the support of 51 councillors, including independent councillor Sudheesh Kumar S S of Poundukadavu, while mayor V V Rajesh exercised his power to cast a vote. However, the opposition members were prevented from speaking during the council session.Currently, the council has 101 councillors, and BJP has 50. The decision allows BJP-led administration to continue conducting meetings over the next six months without risking Sugathan’s disqualification for non-attendance. Sudheesh told media persons that he supported the governing council in conducting the meeting smoothly and supported Sugathan as a person, not BJP.
UDF councillors stage protest inside the council hall on Friday
The mayor said the council relied on a home department circular issued by the state govt on July 20, which stated that a councillor’s leave application could be approved through a majority decision of the council. He also informed the meeting that the superintendent of Viyyur Central Jail had been notified that Sugathan would not be able to attend Friday’s council session. “It is the UDF govt that issued the circular. So, there is no point in the protest,” Rajesh said.LDF and UDF strongly opposed the move, staging protests inside the council hall holding placards and raising slogans. Congress members also alleged that pressing civic issues, including waste management, continued to remain unresolved.LDF parliamentary party leader S P Deepak termed the council’s action “anti-democratic” and announced that the opposition would challenge the decision legally.“We will first approach the corporation secretary with a complaint and then move the high court. Normally, the councillors with medical emergencies get leave, not for people with criminal records,” he told reporters.UDF parliamentary party leader K S Sabarinadhan also said his front would pursue legal remedies against the resolution.Adding another dimension to the controversy, home minister Ramesh Chennithala reportedly expressed dissatisfaction over the home department circular relied upon by the corporation and ordered a probe into the circumstances under which it was issued.Despite the heated exchanges over Sugathan’s leave, the council went on to approve agenda items relating to the finance, welfare, health and public works standing committees without discussion.Sugathan remains in jail despite obtaining bail in the criminal cases registered against him, as he continues to be detained under Kaapa. Earlier this month, he took the oath of office inside the jail following the high court directive after his earlier oath, along with those of several BJP councillors, was declared invalid over procedural issues.Under Kerala Municipality Act, a councillor can face disqualification if absent from council meetings for three consecutive months without obtaining leave.New corporation office building: The meeting also featured the presentation of an ambitious proposal for a new state-of-the-art corporation headquarters to be constructed on the existing 2.6-acre campus.Architects showcased AI-generated visuals and videos of the proposed complex, which will include a modern council hall with a seating capacity for 200 members, an open gallery, board and meeting rooms, advanced office spaces, escalators, cafeterias, residential facilities and retail outlets.Mayor said the civic body hoped to complete the new headquarters before the end of the current council’s tenure.However, Deepak criticised the project, alleging that the ruling front was prioritising grand infrastructure while neglecting basic civic concerns affecting city residents.
