BIG PNM BLOW FOR PENNY
By Ken Ali
The impending resignation of embattled Arima Mayor Balliram “Bally” Maharaj is a significant political blow to the PNM leadership of Penelope Beckles-Robinson.
Maharaj’s planned departure hands a crucial victory to Stuart Young’s insurgent party leadership drive.
The outgoing mayor is a confidante, financier and activist of Ms. Beckles-Robinson in her post as re-elected Member of Parliament for Arima.
He is also a reliable backer of Ms. Beckles-Robinson as party boss and aspirant prime minister.
Maharaj’s announced upcoming resignation follows an intense campaign by internal party opponents to unseat him and to destabilise Ms. Beckles-Robinson.
There are reported plans to wage other sinister crusades to undermine the PNM leader.
The movement, according to informed sources, will include criticisms of Ms. Beckles-Robinson’s appointment of Foster Cummings and Faris Al Rawi as Senators.
Cummings and Al Rawi have trails of public controversies.
Sunshine Today previously reported exclusively that, at a home in north-west Trinidad, certain powerful and well-financed pro-Young operatives have been discussing strategies to get rid of Beckles-Robinson.
A former party officer holder was recently tasked with the responsibility of stirring the Maharaj issue.
The campaign included a stinging letter to the PNM’s secretariat and leaking it to a daily newspaper’s political reporter.
The ex-PNM official has long been critical of both Beckles-Robinson and Maharaj, claiming they do not bring political value to the party.
Ms. Beckles-Robinson hedged for months after an initial call for Maharaj’s dismissal following his attendance at a UNC Christmas party.
Quizzed by the media last December, the leader said: “Well, I mean, you know, he gave his explanation.
“At this point, that is all I would comment on.”
When the issue flared against recently, Ms. Beckles-Robinson stated that Maharaj will quit “in short time.”
Now, there are firm calls for a stated date of the mayor’s departure.
Sources close to Ms. Beckles-Robinson said she is aware of the dissident campaign against her leadership but she is confident of holding onto the office.
She has told associates: “They can’t touch me.”
Sunshine Today earlier revealed that there is a subversive bid to seek the support of at least seven opposition Members of Parliament to replace Ms. Beckles-Robinson as Opposition Leader, with Young.
But only four votes are currently assured.
The pro-Young advocates are convinced that removing Ms. Beckles-Robinson as Opposition Leader would lead to her defeat in the PNM’s leadership election, scheduled for 2029.
They are also eyeing the 2027 local government election.
The Young supporters have branded Ms. Beckles-Robinson as weak and ineffective and incapable of leading the PNM into national office in 2030.
Former leader and Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley is providing tacit support to Young, whom he sponsored in March 2025 into briefly holding both posts.
Partisans of Ms. Beckles-Robinson, however, are saying that Young is unable to mobilise party supporters in his cause.
“We must always remember that Stuart is a major reason why the PNM lost the general election,” a former top official said.
The Young faction is expected to take a quiet lap of honour when Maharaj eventually walks away from the mayor’s office.
But their rebel movement still has a lot of work to do.
