Kottayam: Congress rebel Biju Mathews was elected vice chairperson of Pala Municipality on Wednesday, defeating UDF candidate and Congress parliamentary party leader Sebastian Palackal by 14 votes to 11.

Biju, who contested as the LDF-backed candidate, secured the 14 votes required for a simple majority in the 26-member council. One councillor, Congress rebel Rajitha Prakash, did not participate in the voting.

Interestingly, two other Congress rebels, Tony Thaiparambil and Lissykutty Mathew, voted for the UDF candidate.

Biju's 14 votes included 10 from Kerala Congress (M), two from the CPM, one from Chairperson Maya Rahul and his own vote.

Sebastian secured 11 votes — two from Congress, three from Kerala Congress, three from the Independent Front, one from the Kerala Democratic Party (KDP) and the votes of the two Congress rebels, Tony Thaiparambil and Lissykutty Mathew. Binu Pulickakandam, his daughter Diya Binu Pulickakandam and Binu's elder brother Biju Pulickakandam are the three members of the Independent front.

The election was held at 11 am on Wednesday, with Biju emerging victorious in the first major test for the Kerala Congress (M)-led Municipality Development Front (Nagara Vikasana Munnani), which recently took charge of the civic body.

“This is evidence of the strength of the UDF. Two of the four Congress rebels also supported the UDF,” UDF leader Binu Pulickakandam told Onmanorama after the election.

Biju Mathews and Tony Thaiparambil, both former Congress leaders expelled from the party for defying the party whip, had earlier staked claims to the vice chairperson's post. Maya Rahul and Rajitha Prakash had backed Biju. Tony reportedly opposed Biju's candidature.

The vice chairperson's post fell vacant after Maya Rahul was elected chairperson of the municipality.

The Municipality Development Front was formed shortly before the chairperson election by members of the Save Congress Forum and the KC(M)-led LDF. The election became necessary after Diya Binu Pulickakandam, who had been elected the country's youngest municipal chairperson, was removed through an LDF-backed no-confidence motion.

Congress subsequently expelled four councillors — Biju Mathews, Tony Thaiparambil, Lissykutty Mathew and Rajitha Prakash — from the party's primary membership for defying its whip and voting in favour of the no-confidence motion. The four subsequently joined hands with the LDF, though Lissykutty later returned to the UDF fold following differences over Maya Rahul's candidature for chairperson.

Meanwhile, the State Election Commission has issued anti-defection notices to Maya Rahul and the four former Congress councillors, asking them to appear for a hearing on September 22. The proceedings followed complaints filed by the UDF and Binu Pulickakandam.