How parties thwarted 'collective' coup in Kerala panchayats ahead of polls

Going into the local body elections, political parties have managed to plug possible leakage of votes to independent collectives in some districts. In districts like Idukki, Wayanad, Palakkad and Pathanamthitta, localised protests over various issues led to the formation of collectives, spurring decisions either to boycott elections or field their own candidates.

The parties which have enough trouble from rebel candidates, however, engineered parleys to desist collectives from extreme steps.

Broken promise over brewery plant
The fight against the proposed brewery plant in Elappully, Palakkad has emerged as a focal point of political debate in the region. The Elappully Poratta Janakeeya Samiti (EPJS), a collective of people and groups opposing the project, had initially decided to field an independent candidate at Chuttippara ward in Elappully grama panchayat, where the plant is proposed. The Samiti comprised members of the Congress, the BJP, and several socio-political groups, excluding the CPM.

But the plan fell through at the last minute. The BJP decided to allocate the ward to its alliance partner, the BDJS, triggering resentment among other EPJS-aligned groups.

"The BJP told us that they had already decided to give the seat to the BDJS and wanted all of us to support the alliance candidate as the EPJS representative. This was not acceptable to the Congress or others," said Sivan Mannukkad of the EPJS.

The Samiti had originally intended to field its general convenor, Kesavadas, as the common candidate. Following the BJP’s last-minute decision, the Congress announced its own nominee- Sunilkumar S, the panchayat vice-president and a prominent figure in the anti-brewery protests— effectively dissolving the earlier plan to present a united independent candidate. Now, the ward is witnessing a three-way contest between the Congress, the CPM and the NDA.

Adding to the tension, a rebel candidate is in the fray against panchayat president Revathi Babu, who has been a steadfast opponent of the brewery project.

Sivan noted that once the brewery becomes operational, it could severely affect drinking water availability and cause significant environmental and social impacts in the region. The project continues to remain entangled in legal disputes.

Parties calm nerves at Vattavada
A long-standing demand for a road connecting Vattavada with Kanthallur in Idukki triggered calls for an election boycott among the tribal communities in the region. Residents of the settlements at Swamiyaralakudy, Koodallarkudy, Mele Valsappettykudy, Vayaltharakudy and Parasukkadavukudy are forced to travel all the way to Munnar to access even basic amenities—an arduous journey compared to the 16-km stretch that could directly link the five settlements to Kanthallur.

Frustrated by years of neglect, tribal leaders decided to boycott the polls. They also resolved that no member of the tribal community would contest the four reserved seats in the Vattavada panchayat.

Alarmed by the development, political parties rushed to pacify the residents and assured them that construction of the road would begin before the next Assembly elections.

"There are several clinics in Marayur and nearby areas. But people here have to travel a long distance to Munnar," said District Panchayat member Rajendran C. He said that a road connecting these settlements with Kanthallur will cut down the travel time and will benefit tourism as well.

Adding to the woes was the Forest Department's decision to classify revenue land under Block 59 as forest land. As a result, residents were unable to obtain title deeds, and funds earmarked for the proposed road could not be utilised because the land was officially listed as forest, Rajendran said.

"Since the Forest Department declared the revenue land as forest, political parties and officials claimed the road could not be built without the department's approval. The department was also against building a road through the forest. However, an RTI inquiry later proved that it was revenue land," Rajendran added, noting that the road continued to remain a distant dream.

Merchants' move in Wayanad
Small and medium-scale merchants in Wayanad have repeatedly raised concerns with the government and local authorities, highlighting how several policy decisions have adversely affected their businesses. In an attempt to draw attention to their issues, the Wayanad Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi had even considered fielding independent candidates in the local body polls—challenging mainstream political parties.

The samithi decided to field candidates in Wards 3, 20 and 7 of the Ambalavayal panchayat as a mark of protest. Alarmed by the move, political parties held discussions with the traders and assured them that their grievances would be taken up and resolved.

According to the samithi members, multiple measures, including the strict enforcement of the ban on plastic carry bags, are being wrongfully imposed on them.

"Sometimes, stock arrives in plastic bags, and we keep them aside so the Haritha Karma Sena can collect them later. But during surprise inspections, if authorities find any plastic inside our shops, they fine us," said O V Varghese, former general secretary of the collective.

Street vendors, too, have become a source of worry. "They don’t need license to operate. We obtain every required document, yet they take away the sales, leaving us with almost nothing," Varghese said.

Kokkathodu farmers' woes 
At Kokkathodu, Pathanamthitta, residents have raised strong objections to the implementation of the Navakiranam project under the Rebuild Kerala Development Programme (RKDP). The project allows the government to acquire non-tribal land located close to forest areas by offering a compensation of ₹15 lakh per family. According to the project guidelines, land ranging from 5 cents to 5 acres are treated as a single unit.

 Additionally, households with an unmarried youth are classified as an extra unit, making them eligible for an additional ₹15 lakh, said Pradeep Kattikuzhy of the Kokkathodu Janakeeya Karshaka Samithi.

"The issue is that our land doesn’t fall under the RKDP or the Navakiranam project criteria. We don’t know why it is being forcibly imposed on us. We are being pushed out of our own land," Pradeep said. He also questioned who the land was ultimately being acquired for.

Pradeep added that the compensation being offered is far too low for the region’s land value. "It is well below the actual market rate. And where do we go after handing over our land? They claim the land is being acquired citing landslide vulnerability, but we still don’t know the exact reason," he alleged.

 The Samiti had initially decided to boycott the elections to draw attention to their grievances. Residents of Wards 3 and 4 of the Aruvappulam panchayat also staged protests announcing a boycott. "However, political parties assumed the protest was directed at them and diluted the movement. The samithi consists of people from across party lines, and parties promised that the issue would be addressed," Pradeep said.

Ploy doesn't work everywhere
The people's collectives in places like Ottapalam and Ambalapara panchayat have refused to bow down, this year also. All these collectives have independent candidates taking on political parties, hoping for a win.