A COUNCILLOR is facing calls to quit for 'abandoning' his constituents for the second time in eight months.

Liberal Democrat Yusuf Sidat is supposed to be representing Queen's Park ward on Blackburn with Darwen Council.

But he has failed to attend a single council meeting since December, and is believed to have been in India for the past two months.

Last August Coun Sidat also sparked questions about his future when he em- barked on a sabba tical in India, lasting several weeks, to consider his future.

Now opposition councillors say he should not be picking up his £6,000 annual allowance, and have called on him to resign because he is no use' to his constituents.

If and when he returns, he will be ordered to explain himself by Liberal Democrat colleagues, who say they have been forced to cover for him during his absence.

Group leader Coun David Foster said he had unsuccessfully tried to ring Coun Sidat several times and said his future would be discussed if he didn't return in the next couple of weeks.

But Labour leader Coun Kate Hollern said: "He has gone AWOL - there's been no sign of him for three months.

"He is uncontactable by phone and we have no address. He has abandoned his constituents and it's interesting that not only do the residents not know where he is, but the council doesn't either.

"How are people in Queen's Park represented if he's not there? Who do they contact if there's a problem? It seems madness that the guy doesn't live here, but he's still picking up an allowance."

When the Lancashire Telegraph rang the council and asked to be put in touch with Coun Sidat, we were told he was on leave, they didn't know when he was going to return and that there was no contact telephone number.

There was no sign of him at the Copperfield Street address that is listed on his council web page.

The occupant, Ahmed Fulad, 30, said Coun Sidat no longer lived at the property.

He said: "He is in India - he has been for a couple of months - but I don't know why he is there or when he will be back."

Labour councillor for Queen's Park Salim Mulla said: "The last time I saw him in this ward was about two months ago.

"Many constituents in Queen's Park have come to me and some key members of the community who supported him in the last election are asking him to resign.

"He hasn't been able to represent his ward at all so he shouldn't be its councillor. He's holding no surgeries, but is still getting an allowance.

"It's normal to spend a month or so in India every year or two - but it's not normal to go so often."

If Coun Sidat was expelled by his party, he could continue to stand as an independent councillor. If he did step down, a by-election would be triggered. If Labour took the seat it would leave the balance of power in the borough hanging by a thread.

Both Labour and the ruling coalition of Conservative, Liberal Democrat and For Darwen councillors would be left with 32 seats, leaving the mayor - Tory Maureen McGarvey - to keep the coalition in power until the May elections with her casting vote.

Coun Sidat was elected to the authority in 2004 as an independent but joined the Lib Dems shortly afterwards.

He has missed seven of 15 council meetings since last May, including Monday's finance council meeting, billed as the most important of the year because the ruling administration agrees its budget for the coming year.

Before last summer's trip, Coun Sidat resigned as deputy chairman of the planning committee because of "work pressures". He remains a member of the committee but has missed five out of nine meetings since May.

Coun Foster said: "As I understand it, he's in India because of medical treatment for one of his relatives.

"He is still a ward councillor, and we have been trying to cover his casework to make sure local residents aren't suffering.

"I have tried calling him a number of times.

"People need to be in the borough doing the work that councillors do.

"When people are away for such a long time that they are not able to represent their constituency, we make a decision on whether they continue as a member of our party.

"If he doesn't return within the next few weeks we will need to consider the situation at our next group meeting."

A Local Government Association spokesman said there was no requirement for councillors to live in their ward, and they needed only attend two meetings a year to stay in office.

Council leader Colin Rigby said: "I am told he is in India.

"I think he has some family problems. My stance has always been the same.

"If you have family problems, you sort those out first. It's as simple as that."