The Congress party’s decision to refuse to announce candidates for two divisions – Cheralaya and Ravipuram – has set the rumor mill in motion as the party now faces the prospect of its first potential rebel candidature this election season in Girinagar.
Dissident six-time BJP councilor Shyamala S. Prabhu’s name has been doing the rounds in connection with Cheralaya, the ward she represented from the late 1980s to 2020. However, Ms. Prabhu, who announced her decision to contest as an independent after being excluded from the original BJP list released on Wednesday, has denied any connection with the UDF.
“Earlier, several members of the UDF pushed this idea, which I flatly rejected. I have no idea who is spreading these rumours. My decision to contest as an Independent, without the support of any political front, remains unchanged,” Ms. Prabhu said. Despite assurances from the BJP leadership that her demand would be considered favourably, she was ultimately sidelined as the party nominated another candidate from the section in its first list.
Ms. Prabhu said the party did not even give a courtesy call on the decision. The veteran leader called a meeting of her close aides at her residence on Thursday evening to officially announce her decision to contest as an independent and seek their feedback.
However, sources in the district congress committee said that such a move was already in the works and that she had been approached.
In Ravipuram ward, the Congress is reportedly in talks with former mayor Soumini Jain. She represented the ward during her tumultuous mayoralty from 2015 to 2020, during which she fell out with the party. After serving as mayor, she is said to be reluctant to run as a councilor only. She is demanding an assurance from the party that she will be nominated for mayor if the United Democratic Front wins a majority. With several seasoned candidates in the fray, it may not be easy for the party to offer such a guarantee.
Meanwhile, Girinagar incumbent councilor Malini Kurup raised the banner of rebellion after he was expelled. The three-time councilor has announced her intention to run as an independent from the ward, possibly with the support of the Communist Party of India. “It seems the party doesn’t want people who work on the ground, but instead chose someone who has already lost twice,” Kurup said. She also accused the leadership of religious appeasement by favoring a Christian candidate in Girinagar, a Hindu-majority ward.
Santha Vijayan, sitting Congress councilor from Devankulangara, formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after receiving party membership from senior leader MT Ramesh at a function held in Thripunithura on Thursday evening. Shortly after she switched parties, DCC president Muhammed Shiyas expelled her from the party.
Published – 14 Nov 2025 01:59 IST
