Thrissur: Congress rebel M K Varghese is likely to be the Mayor of the Thrissur Corporation. The LDF has reportedly reached an understanding to make him the Mayor for the first two years.
An official announcement is likely by Sunday evening. The election to choose the Mayor at the local body will be held on Monday.
Apart from the Congress rebel, the LDF has 24 members, while the UDF has 23. The BJP has six members.
Varghese had earlier announced that he was with the LDF. One of his main demands was that he should be made the Mayor for the first two years.
Initial talks were inconclusive
Talks held by the LDF even on Saturday to decide the Thrissur Corporation Mayor had been inconclusive. The Left front was initially not in favour of Varghese's demands to make him the mayor for the first two years.
People, associated with Varghese, also held talks with the UDF. They demanded that he should be made Mayor for five years.
CPM district secretary M M Varghese had said that the talks would continue and a decision is likely by Sunday. The deputy mayor post is for the CPI.
The CPM initially did not want to forsake the Mayor post with the Assembly elections scheduled to be held next year. Also, the election to one ward has been postponed after the death of a candidate. If the UDF were to win here, then the Mayor would be chosen through the draw of lots. The BJP too said that it would not back anyone.
In such a scenario, a section of the LDF leaders had questioned the need to forsake the mayor post as there was no guarantee over continuing governance.
Varghese had also asserted that he would not accept the suggestion to give him the Mayor post after two years.
