By Express News Service KOCHI: PD Martin of the Congress was elected the chairperson of the welfare standing committee of the corporation on Wednesday, ending the anxiety among the UDF ranks over the election outcome. Though the UDF has a majority of five in the nine-member committee, the factional feud in the Congress posed a major threat for the ruling front as a single cross vote could have resulted in losing the committee to the LDF. Fearing this, the UDF leadership had issued a strict warning to the standing committee members to cast votes without mistakes. Martin, who secured five votes, defeated LDF’s P S Shine.“After the UDF lost several committees due to the factional feud, we were worried about the outcome. Though no whip was issued to the UDF councillors, a clear directive was given to the councillors to cast their vote without a mistake. We are relieved with the result,” said a senior Congress councillor. Sunila Selvan of the LDF was elected the town planning committee chairperson. Since the seat is reserved for a woman candidate and Sunila is the lone woman in the nine-member committee, no nomination was filed against her. Dissent in the UDF over a change of guard helped the LDF bag the town planning committee chief post. With Sunila assuming charge as the chairperson, LDF has so far gained control over four committees. Meanwhile, Shiny Mathew was absorbed in the tax appeal committee to fill the vacant positions in the committee. Shiny, the only councillor who is not a member of any committee, resigned from the post as chairperson of town planning committee intending to become Mayor of Kochi.

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