DCC strikes deal with rebel winner to retain Thiruvambady panchayat

A suspended Youth Congress leader who independently contested and won in the recent local body elections as a rebel candidate against the official nominee of the United Democratic Front (UDF) has been nominated to the post of president in Thiruvambady grama panchayat. Jithin Pallat will be assuming the key position following a series of conciliatory talks initiated by senior Congress leaders in the wake of a hung verdict.

The elections in Thiruvambady had resulted in a tie, with both the UDF and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) securing nine seats each. In an effort to retain control of the panchayat, the District Congress Committee (DCC) offered the post of president to Mr. Pallat as part of a strategic compromise. According to the internal agreement reached, he would serve as president for the first three years of the council’s term. Thereafter, the post would be taken over by UDF nominee Bose Jacob.

Mr. Pallat contested from the Punnakkal ward after being suspended from the party for rebelling against the official candidate. Despite disciplinary action, he was not willing to withdraw his nomination. He won by a decisive margin of 535 votes after a heated electioneering in the UDF stronghold. Local congress workers who backed his candidature said public resentment played a key role in his victory, particularly opposition to the party’s decision to field a candidate who resided nearly 20 km away from the ward.

Mr. Pallat had been removed from all leadership positions in the Youth Congress and the Karshaka Congress after he refused to withdraw his nomination and continued his campaign independently. Party sources also revealed that amid his differences with the Congress leadership, the LDF had approached him with an offer to project him as the candidate for the post of panchayat president. However, subsequent reconciliation efforts by the DCC led to the acceptance of his demands including the reinstatement into the party’s fold.

Mr. Pallat had recently said that the outcome of the election reflected the electorate’s preference for youth leadership and a secular outlook. He also claimed that local Congress workers and leaders extended strong support to his campaign, recognising the importance of aligning with local sentiment.