After ouster of country's youngest chairperson, KC(M) holds reins ahead of Aug 19 election in Pala

Congress rebel Maya Rahul and expelled Congress member Lissykutty Mathew have emerged as top contenders to head Pala Municipality. The election will be held on August 19. The chairperson's post fell vacant after 21-year-old Diya Binu Pulickakandam, India's youngest municipal chairperson, was unseated in a no-confidence motion moved by the Kerala Congress (M)-led LDF.

While the party insists the move was aimed at ensuring better governance rather than reclaiming power, its political leverage has only grown since then. Acting chairperson and Congress rebel Maya Rahul, who has entered the fray for the top post, has openly sought the KC(M)'s support. The party, in turn, has indicated its willingness to back either Maya or any of the four Congress councillors expelled from the party's primary membership after defying the whip and voting in favour of the no-confidence motion.

Those councillors are Biju Mathews, Tony Thaiparambil, Lissykutty Mathew and Rajita Prakash. Maya had also supported the KC(M). An elevation to power riding on KC(M) support will only bolster the party's command in the civic body.

The numbers also favour the KC(M). The LDF now has 12 members in the 26-member council - 10 from the KC(M) and two from the CPM. The UDF's strength has weakened after the expulsion of four Congress councillors and Maya Rahul's open break from the alliance. However, the KC(M) still requires additional support to run the council. More than half of the council will have to back agendas and administrative decisions.

Despite its evident edge, KC(M) is circumspect. "We are not interested in capturing power for the sake of power," KC(M) councillor Biju Palappudavil, who moved the no-confidence motion, told Onmanorama. "We have only 12 members. To run the municipality effectively, we need a working majority. That is why we are willing to support anyone who stood with the no-confidence motion."

He also suggested that Maya and Lissykutty Mathew could arrive at a consensus on sharing the chairperson's post, reiterating that the KC(M) would support such an arrangement. An earlier power-sharing agreement within the UDF had stipulated that Diya would serve as chairperson for the first two years of the council's term, followed by one year each for Maya and Lissykutty, with the final year earmarked for Kerala Congress (J)'s Siji Toni Thottathil.

The developments stand in contrast to KC(M) chairman Jose K Mani's earlier remark that "Pala will not be left orphaned," a statement widely interpreted as signalling the party's intent to regain influence in the municipality through a possible understanding with the home turf, Congress.

However, the political crisis now marks a dramatic reversal for the UDF, which had wrested control of the municipality from the KC(M) after Diya, her father Binu Pulickakandam and uncle Biju Pulickakandam were elected as part of an independent collective backed by the alliance.

However, the coalition soon descended into infighting. Congress leaders accused the Pulickakandam family of functioning independently of the alliance and maintaining proximity with the Left. The tensions escalated into police complaints, allegations of assault and theft, and criticism that Diya's father exercised undue influence over the municipality's administration - an allegation the family has consistently denied.

Maya defended her decision to support the no-confidence motion, saying it stemmed from governance concerns rather than political ambition. "The expelled Congress councillors had not wilfully violated the party whip," she noted and expressed confidence that she would receive the KC(M)'s backing in the chairperson election. "The only thing I can confirm now is my candidature. Whether I receive the KC(M)'s support will become clear only during the election. Because things can change any time," she added.

Lissykutty echoed similar concerns, saying, "trust within the UDF had broken down." She said discussions on the chairperson's post were still underway and no final decision had been taken, though she expressed hope that a consensus would emerge before the election.

Binu Pulickakandam, meanwhile, maintained that his family remains loyal to the UDF as long as the alliance continues to support them. He accused the rebel councillors of betraying the coalition. "Those who defied the party whip have betrayed the Congress. There was already a power-sharing agreement under which Maya and Lissykutty were to become chairpersons later in the council's term. Now they have managed to assume the post much earlier than agreed. That is their gain," he said.

No complaint has yet been filed with the State Election Commission against the councillors who defied the party whip. The complainants have one month to approach the Commission, after which the proceedings - including hearings, examination of evidence and witness testimonies - are likely to take considerable time.

Until the Commission reaches a final decision, the expelled Congress councillors remain eligible to hold the chairperson's post, if elected. However, if they are eventually disqualified and removed from the council, they will have to seek a fresh mandate through a by-election, potentially plunging the municipality into another phase of political uncertainty.