Congress Rebels Join Forces with BJP to End LDF's 23-Year Rule in Kerala Panchayat

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In a stunning electoral upset, eight Congress councillors who resigned from the party have joined hands with the BJP to elect independent candidate Tessy Jose Kallarakkal as president of Mattathur grama panchayat in Kerala. This move has ended the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) 23-year-long control of the local body. Mattathur panchayat, with 24 wards, saw a close contest in the recent local body elections, with the LDF winning 10 seats, the UDF eight, the NDA four, and two independents elected. The LDF fielded independent councillor K R Ouseph as its presidential candidate, while the UDF backed Tessy Jose Kallarakkal. In the decisive vote, Tessy Jose secured 12 votes, including eight from the resigned Congress members and three from the BJP. The LDF-backed candidate Ouseph received support from all 10 LDF members. The BJP's one vote was declared invalid. The outcome was the result of a series of last-minute realignments. Initially, the numbers pointed towards a 10-10 tie between the LDF and UDF, prompting the possibility of a draw of lots. However, the UDF's parliamentary party leader and nominee for panchayat president, K R Ouseph, switched sides and joined the LDF, triggering protests from Congress members. The Congress councillors who resigned from the party are Minimol, Sreeja, Suma Antony, Akshay Santhosh, Printo Palliparamban, Siji Rajesh, Sibi Paulose, and Noorjahan Navas. They cited alleged injustice by the party leadership towards the Mandalam Congress Committee and local party workers in their resignation letters. Following the developments, KPCC president Sunny Joseph suspended DCC general secretary T M Chandran and Mandalam Congress president Shafi Kalluparambil from the party for violating party decisions and leading efforts that put the party in crisis. Despite the Congress rebel assuming the president's post with BJP support, the Congress district and state leaderships have not yet taken an official stance on the local-level understanding with the BJP. Meanwhile, CPM Mattathur Area Committee member Rajith alleged that the developments reflect an 'unholy alliance' between the Congress and the BJP.