Congress in shock as its own members stage revolt in Mattathur, tie up with BJP

The Congress suffered a shocking setback at Mattathur in Kodakara, as its own elected representatives delivered an unexpected shock by resigning from the party en masse and forging an alliance with the BJP to seize control of the local body.

In an unprecedented move, all eight Congress members in the Mattathur panchayat resigned from the party and joined hands with the BJP, paving the way for a new ruling combine. Independent candidate Tessi Jose Kallarakkal, who had won the election as an independent, was elected panchayat president with the support of the rebel Congress members and BJP councillors.

In the 24 -member panchayat, the LDF secured 10 and UDF — 8 and the NDA 4. There are two independent councillors.

Ms. Tessi secured 12 votes—backed by all eight former Congress members and three of the four BJP members. One BJP member’s vote was declared invalid. Independent councillor K. R. Ouseph, who had contested as a Congress rebel, received 10 votes of the LDF members.

The dramatic turn of events came even as the LDF was reportedly making moves to form an administration by aligning with the Congress rebel-turned-independent. The sudden defection of the entire Congress bloc and its alliance with the BJP caught the party leadership off guard, leaving the Congress camp stunned.

In their resignation letters, the councillors cited protest against what they described as injustice and neglect by the party leadership towards the mandalam Congress committee and grassroots workers.

The unexpected political realignment has plunged the Congress into crisis at Mattathur, marking a rare instance of an entire elected bloc walking out of the party and reshaping the balance of power overnight.