Kozhikode: Two UDF members from Kunnamangalam grama panchayat have been disqualified as elected members and two members from the LDF have replaced them following an order of the Kozhikode Principal Munsif court-2. Ward number 10 member Jisha Cholakkamannil and ward number 14 member P Koulath are the disqualified members.
They have been replaced by Jinisha Kantiyil, Rajani Puttatt in the respective wards. The court order came in connection with a long pending complaint filed during the local body elections held in 2020.
During the tenure of the panchayat committee during 2010-15, there was an audit objection against the members of the committee. The report had flagged lapses in fund utilisation related to certain projects.
The audit report recommended recovering an amount of Rs 40,259 from the members. It was alleged that two members who have now been disqualified did not clear the liability and contested the elections. This issue was then raised by the opposing LDF contestants and leaders, but the Returning Officer accepted their nominations.
A litigation was filed by the LDF candidates against their nomination. Kozhikode Principal Munsif Jomy Anu Isaac issued the order.
The UDF however said that there was a stay order from the High Court. “Though there was an audit objection, the High Court issued a stay order. When these members filed a nomination for the local body elections in 2020, the LDF raised this issue. But the returning officer was granted the permission to accept the nomination by the election commission,” the UDF panchayat committee claimed in a press release.