In a sudden political turn of events over control of the key Mandrem panchayat it is learnt that the sarpanch faces a no-trust motion barely 24 hours after getting elected. The move is seen as power play by politicians in order to gain control of the panchayat. That should not infer that the particular panchayat should function under the influence of a particular politician. Though panchayat elections are not held on party lines, it is an open secret that the local MLAs and politicians, who play a major role in the polls, do not conceal their attempts to gain control of the panchayats. Independence must begin at the grass-root. Thus, every village panchayat should have full powers. Village panchayats need to be free of all political interference so that the grassroot bodies have only the concerns of the village in mind and work to bring a positive change in their jurisdictions. They know what is best for the village, so let them work for it without any outside political interference. It would be desirable for elected panchayat members to work together as an independent group without any party affiliations.
