Kottayam: Independent councillor Maya Rahul was elected chairperson of the Pala Municipality on Wednesday with the backing of the Left Democratic Front (LDF). Rahul secured the support of 16 of the 26 councillors in the municipal council. She represents Ward 19 and is serving her second term as a councillor.

She was backed by the LDF and members of the Save Congress Forum, comprising Congress rebels who were expelled from the party for defying the party whip. She contested against Riya Cheeramkuzhi, the official United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate.

The LDF had 12 councillors- 10 from Kerala Congress (M) and two from CPM.

“Since no party has a majority here, everyone should come together and work for the development of Pala. We should restore Pala to its former glory,” Rahul said after the election. She added that there was no agreement on sharing the term as of now.

The election was necessitated after former chairperson Diya Binu Pulikkakandam was removed following a no-confidence motion moved by the LDF. Diya, who had gained recognition as the country’s youngest municipal chairperson, was ousted after around six months in office. The no-confidence motion was passed with the support of four Congress councillors and the independent municipal vice-chairperson. The Congress councillors had voted in favour of the motion in violation of the party whip directing them not to participate in the proceedings.

Following the chairperson election, the Congress leadership said it would initiate legal action against the party rebels. DCC president Nattakom Suresh had issued a whip directing Congress councillors to abstain from the no-confidence motion, but four councillors defied the directive. The party subsequently announced that it would take legal action against them.

The Election Commission has admitted a petition filed by UDF Parliamentary Party leader Sebastian Panakkal seeking action against the four councillors — Biju Mathews, Tony Thaiparambil, Rajitha Prakash and Lissykutty Mathew — who were elected on the Congress symbol. A separate petition filed by Binu Pulickakandam, seeking the disqualification of Maya Rahul, who was part of the UDF, has also been admitted.

The UDF may also file another petition against Rahul, who became the municipal chairperson with the support of the LDF.

Proceedings have been initiated under the anti-defection law to disqualify the councillors. If found guilty, they could lose their councillor positions and be barred from contesting elections for six years. If defection is established, it could pave the way for a by-election in Pala.

For the first time since 1988, the UDF came to power in the Pala Municipality last December, creating history as the civic body was governed without any representation from the Kerala Congress (M), traditionally K M Mani’s political stronghold. Eight months later, the municipality has now come under the control of the Kerala Congress (M) following a rebellion by Congress councillors.