As the nomination period drew to a close on Monday, a wave of rebels hit Kottayam and Pathanamthitta, leaving the main fronts in internal rebellion instead of facing their real rivals.
In Pathanamthitta, rebel candidates emerged in key municipalities and panchayats, including Pathanamthitta, Adoor and Thiruvalla, as well as several local bodies such as Ezhamkulam, Pazhavangadi, Ranni, Naranamoozhi, Vechoochira and Konni. The rebel list includes branch and Committed Committee members of the CPI(M) along with block and ward level office bearers of the Congress.
Prominent rebel candidates include M Alavuddin, state general secretary of the NCP, contesting in ward 17 of the Adoor municipality, and Suma Narendra, local committee member of the CPI(M), who is in the fray in ward 24 against the party’s Adoor area committee member Divya Reji Muhammad.
In Thiruvalla, both the LDF and UDF are facing rebel candidates in Ward 36, while Congress Mandalam Committee president Vinod Mambalam is contesting as an independent in Ward 39. In Pathanamthitta, CPI(M) branch secretary M. Shefeena is running as a rebel in Ward 14 against the official CPI candidate.
In Kulanada panchayat, a BJP bastion, the party is dealing with two rebels – Abhilash Raj and VR Vinod Kumar, who is currently a sitting member of the panchayat.
Kottayam is no exception to the insurgency wave with the Ettumanur municipality leading the charge, where the NDA and LDF are facing two rebels while the UDF has one.
In Pala unicipty, Congress is facing a rebel challenge against its leader Saheesh Chollani, who is contesting from ward 19. Maya Rahul, a Congress member who represented the ward in the outgoing council, is also contesting from the same ward.
In Kottayam municipality, chairman Bincy Sebastian faces a rebel in ward 53, while the CPI(M) and CPI clash in ward 20 of Aymanam panchayat. In Elikkulam panchayat, Kerala Congress (M) leader Mahesh is contesting as a rebel in ward 7 and in Erumely panchayat, CPI(M) corporator PK Hulasi is contesting as a rebel. Anita Sanosh of the Congress is also in the fray as a rebel candidate in the Pazhayidom ward of the same panchayat.
In Vazhakkala ward of Erumely anchayat, IUML candidate is running against UDF-backed independents, while Congress Independent Liji Sani is running as a rebel in Sreenipuram ward.
Meanwhile, the Congress has initiated disciplinary proceedings against its rebel candidates in Kottayam. Three candidates in Kumaranalloor, two in Thalayazham and P. Rajeev, block general secretary contesting in Ettumanur municipality, were expelled from the party. In the first phase, nine individuals in Kottayam district faced action and the leadership indicated that similar action would follow against the remaining rebel candidates.
Published – 25 Nov 2025 21:14 IST
