DCC gen secy, mandalam prez suspended after 8 Cong members team up with BJP to seize power in Mattathur panchayat

Thrissur: The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Saturday suspended the primary membership of DCC general secretary T M Chandran and mandalam president Shafi Kalluparambil after all eight Congress members of the Mattathur grama panchayat in Thrissur resigned from the party, joined hands with the BJP and formed an alliance to assume power.

“The action was taken for leading efforts to put the party in crisis by violating party decisions and acting against Congress policies at the Mattathur grama panchayat,” a KPCC statement said.

Independent candidate Tessi Jose Kallarackal was elected panchayat president with the support of the resigned Congress members. She secured 12 votes, eight from the former Congress members and three of the four BJP members, while one BJP vote was declared invalid. Another independent candidate, KR Ouseph, received the backing of 10 LDF members.

The sudden shift came at a time when the LDF was attempting to form the administration by aligning with an independent candidate who had contested as a Congress rebel. In their resignation letters, the eight members cited alleged injustice by the party leadership towards the Mandalam Congress Committee and local party workers.

Those who quit the Congress are Minimol, Sreeja, Suma Antony, Akshay Santhosh, Printo Palliparamban, Siji Rajesh, Sibi Paulose and Noorjahan Navas.

Mattathur Panchayat remained under LDF control for 23 years. In the latest election, the seat distribution was LDF 10, UDF 8, NDA 4, and two rebels. When the numbers later reached LDF 10 and UDF 10, the contest moved towards a tie, raising the possibility of a draw of lots.

Amid this, the UDF convened a parliamentary party meeting and selected K R Ouseph, elected as a rebel, as its parliamentary party leader and nominee for the post of panchayat president. However, just ahead of the election, Ouseph reached an understanding with the LDF and switched sides.

The move triggered protests from Congress members, who accused Ouseph of betrayal. In response, all eight Congress members resigned from the party and declared themselves independents. The four BJP members extended support to them, and with the backing of all 12 members, Tessi Jose — who had earlier won as a Congress rebel — was fielded and elected panchayat president.

The development resulted in a Congress rebel assuming the president’s post with BJP support. The Congress district and state leaderships have so far not announced an official position on the alliance between the local Congress leadership and the BJP, nor have they initiated action against the members who resigned.

CPM Mattathur Area Committee member Rajith alleged that the developments in Mattathur reflected an “unholy alliance” between the Congress and the BJP. He claimed that Congress district leaders and a BJP state leader camped in the panchayat on the day of the election and worked in coordination.

According to him, the two parties planned the move jointly and undermined democratic processes. He said it was shocking that the Congress entered into such an arrangement at a time when the RSS was targeting minorities across the country.