Kochi: Ahead of Kerala's Kochi corporation elections, political fronts have been buffeted by defections, open rebellions, and last-minute political migrations, causing a churn that veteran leaders and political observers say the city has not witnessed in recent decades.

In barely two weeks, nearly 10 leaders, including five women, have walked out of their parties. Among them are sitting councillors, former councillors, a former deputy mayor, and the current deputy mayor. Their reasons vary, but most departures stem from disputes over seat allocation or outright denial of tickets.

Party insiders and political observers said that it will continue in the coming days too. They said that what appears on the surface to be routine pre-poll reshuffling is symptomatic of a deeper crisis, one that extends well beyond Kochi’s municipal limits. Veterans watching the developments said Kochi’s upheaval mirrors a broader disruption playing out across Kerala. Internal friction over candidate selection has intensified in multiple local units, leaving parties scrambling to manage dissent even as they court defectors from rival camps.

Over the last few weeks, the city has seen a wave of dramatic shifts. Congress councillor Shantha Vijayan of Devankulangara division joined the BJP within hours of being denied her ticket. UDF ally Sunitha Dixon of the RSP, who was councillor in Vytilla, made the same leap. Both now contest on BJP tickets.

Antony Judy, Twenty20’s Lok Sabha candidate in 2024, quit the party criticising its founder Sabu M Jacob and was quickly absorbed by the Congress as its candidate in Ravipuram.

And in one of the most striking political U-turns, health standing committee chairperson TK Ashraf, who won in 2020 as an LDF-backed independent after leaving the IUML in Kalvathy, has returned to the League, this time as its official candidate.

Equally telling is the rise of veteran rebels contesting as independents after being denied seats. In this group, the most prominent is KR Premkumar, former UDF deputy mayor, running independently from Konam. Malini Kurup, three-term councillor from Girinagar, who was ‘sidelined’ by the Congress is now contesting as an independent.

Basten Babu (Karuvelippady) and Joseph Alex (Palarivattom), who resigned from the Congress after ward reservation cost them their seats. Former CPI councillor and deputy mayor KA Ansiya, who quit the Left Front over seat disputes, has not announced her independent candidature yet.

Shyamala Prabhu, a six-term BJP stalwart from Cherlai, now runs independently after being denied a ticket. Beyond the candidates, several non-contesting local leaders have also quit their parties in protest over seat allocation.

According to a senior Congress leader, the crisis stems from a mix of ‘over-ambition of the councillors and poor candidate selection by the parties’. “Once leaders taste power, they find it difficult to relinquish their positions. Denial of seats pushes many into open rebellion,” he said.

He also admitted that the UDF leadership has mishandled selections in divisions such as Thoppumpady, Mundamveli East and Girinagar, allowing personal interests of certain senior leaders to influence decisions calling it ‘dangerous’.

A senior CPM leader agreed, noting that the number of rebels across parties is “unusually high” this time.

“Today, leaders have no allegiance to any party; they focus only on personal gains. If they are denied the seat they demand, they immediately switch parties or contest as rebels. There is no patience and no loyalty to the party that elevated them,” he said.

UDF Ernakulam chairman Dominic Presentation, however, insisted that the seat-allocation process was thorough. "Some rebellion is inevitable, especially given that multiple divisions have been newly reserved for women. The front was even compelled to assign a few general seats to women leaders following internal protests," he said.

“Many of the women who turned rebels are not hardcore party workers who rose through the Mahila Congress and therefore lack the loyalty and allegiance the party expects. Their rebellion is not a real threat to the UDF,” Presentation said.

For the rebels themselves, these accusations cut deep. Three-term Congress councillor Malini Kurup, now contesting independently in Girinagar, said she was pushed aside despite delivering a strong performance. She claimed she was initially assured a seat, only to be “sidelined overnight.”

“If the party questions my loyalty, I should be asking why the party is not loyal to those who have worked hard and are still cast aside. Even the party workers and residents of Girinagar wanted me to contest, and the leadership knew this,” she said.

Political analyst and academic J Prabhash described the current wave of defections and rebellions as part of a larger national trend, a sign of a collapsing political culture.

“Politics has always been about power, but now it is only about power. Ideologies and morals have deteriorated, and parties themselves have normalised defections by routinely welcoming rivals and giving them tickets. When parties legitimise such behaviour, individuals driven by personal ambition naturally follow. Earlier, even voters questioned how someone could change their political ideology overnight. Now, nobody thinks twice before turning rebels because it has all been normalised. It is a dangerous trend and the death knell for democracy,” Prabhash said.

He said that leaders have conveniently forgotten the saying that politics should not be considered as a profession. “Today, everyone sees politics as a job. When it becomes a profession, switching parties becomes no different from switching companies for better opportunities. Morality and ideology become irrelevant,” he said.

He also added that local governance, too, has become a more attractive profession for politicians due to the visibility, recognition, and monetary benefits it brings. “Each councillor controls around ₹5 crore in division funds over a five-year term, and many seek commissions from projects they implement. Standing committee chairpersons even get their own official vehicle. Naturally, the role has become a lucrative profession,” Prabhash said.