Travancore Devaswom Board gets new President, member

Thiruvananthapuram: Amid protest by ruling UDF partner RSP over their selection, Congress leaders Prayar Gopalakrishnan and Ajay Tharayil were Thursday sworn in as President and member respectively of Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) that manages the famous Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa shrine and others in Kerala.

Gopalakrishnan, a former MLA, is an eminent co-operator and forner chairman of the Kerala State Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, while Tharayil is a spokesperson of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee.

They were sworn in at a simple function held at the TDB headquarters here.

The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), a minor partner in the Congress-led UDF, expressed disappointment over the manner in which the Board's President and member were selected by the lead partner.

RSP MP, N K Preamchandran alleged that Congress unilaterally took the decision without consulting with Front partners.

RSP in writing had asked the UDF to allot the member post to the party, Preamchandran said.

It was unfortunate that Congress took such a decision, he added.