Sunitha Dixon, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) councillor from the Vyttila division who put in her papers as chairperson of the Kochi Corporation’s public works standing committee on Thursday, said she had delayed relinquishing the post as she was unfairly asked to step down before the term originally agreed upon.
Ms. Dixon claimed that she was originally given a term of two-and-a-half years as per an understanding within the United Democratic Front (UDF), but was asked to step down after one-and-a-half years. “Now that the term has been completed, I submitted my resignation to the Corporation Secretary after informing the RSP district leadership,” she said.
She dismissed the argument that she had resigned to avoid being disqualified as a councillor and was facing a ban of six years from contesting in elections after Congress councillor V.K. Minimol approached the Election Commission for the same on the grounds of defection, and on which the High Court asked the Commission to take a call within six months. This was after Ms. Dixon violated the whip issued by RSP district secretary George Stephen to vote in favour of a no-trust motion moved by the United Democratic Front (UDF) for her removal as works standing committee chairperson. She abstained from voting along with the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF).
