Kerala: Eight Congress members quit party, ally with BJP to stop LDF in Mattathur
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.Dramatic political developments unfolded on Saturday, December 27, during the panchayat president election in Mattathur of Thrissur district, as eight elected Congress members resigned from the party and extended support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), leading to a change in power.Out of the 24 elected members, 10 belong to the LDF while eight were elected with Congress support. Four councillors are BJP members and two are independents. Just ahead of the voting, all eight Congress members who won the polls submitted their resignation from the party and joined hands with the BJP to form a new front.With the support of the BJP-backed front, independent member Tesi Jose Kallarakkal was elected as the panchayat president. She secured votes from eight former Congress members, four BJP members and two independent rebels. The LDF, despite having 10 members, failed to retain control of the panchayat.Tesi Jose had contested the local body election as an independent candidate and had earlier declared her support to the UDF. After being elected president with BJP support, she told the media that the move was aimed at ending the long-standing LDF rule in Mattathur.BJP mandalam president Arun said the panchayat had been under LDF rule for several years. “When the UDF members decided to leave the party, we welcomed the move and joined hands with them,” he said.Mattathur has traditionally been considered a Congress stronghold, but internal rifts between the District Congress Committee (DCC) leadership and the local leadership weakened the party. In the recent local body elections, all eight candidates fielded by the Congress, in defiance of the DCC emerged victorious, along with two party rebels.In their resignation letters, the eight members stated that they quit the Congress in protest against the injustice shown by the leadership towards the mandalam congress committee and grassroots workers.Those who resigned include Minimol, Sreeja, Suma Antony, Akshay Santhosh, Printo Palliparamban, Siji Rajesh, Sibi Paulose and Noorjahan Nawaz.
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
DRAMATIC political developments unfolded on Saturday, December 27, during the panchayat president election in Mattathur of Thrissur district, as eight elected Congress members resigned from the party and extended support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), leading to a change in power.
Out of the 24 elected members, 10 belong to the LDF while eight were elected with Congress support. Four councillors are BJP members and two are independents.
Just ahead of the voting, all eight Congress members who won the polls submitted their resignation from the party and joined hands with the BJP to form a new front.
With the support of the BJP-backed front, independent member Tesi Jose Kallarakkal was elected as the panchayat president. She secured votes from eight former Congress members, four BJP members and two independent rebels. The LDF, despite having 10 members, failed to retain control of the panchayat.
Tesi Jose had contested the local body election as an independent candidate and had earlier declared her support to the UDF. After being elected president with BJP support, she told the media that the move was aimed at ending the long-standing LDF rule in Mattathur.
BJP mandalam president Arun said the panchayat had been under LDF rule for several years.
“When the UDF members decided to leave the party, we welcomed the move and joined hands with them,” he said.
Mattathur has traditionally been considered a Congress stronghold, but internal rifts between the District Congress Committee (DCC) leadership and the local leadership weakened the party.
In the recent local body elections, all eight candidates fielded by the Congress, in defiance of the DCC emerged victorious, along with two party rebels.
In their resignation letters, the eight members stated that they quit the Congress in protest against the injustice shown by the leadership towards the mandalam congress committee and grassroots workers.
Those who resigned include Minimol, Sreeja, Suma Antony, Akshay Santhosh, Printo Palliparamban, Siji Rajesh, Sibi Paulose and Noorjahan Nawaz.
