In an attempt to wriggle out of an embarrassing episode in Thrissur’s Mattathur grama panchayat, where eight members of the Congress body from the party joined hands with the BJP to keep the Left Democratic Front out of power, the Congress leadership has asked both the president-elect and the vice-president of the local body to step down.
While vice-president Noorjahan Navas, who was elected on a Congress ticket, has agreed to resign from the post, panchayat president Tessi Jose Kallarakkal, who contested as an independent and won the polls after the Congress denied her a ticket, is yet to make up her mind, Congress leader and Angamaly MLA Roji M. John said on Saturday.
Mr. John, who was tasked by the party-state leadership to deal with the dissidents in Mattathuru, briefed the media on the outcome of the meeting.
“The Congress has told her that if she does not resign, the party will file a no-confidence motion against her. But according to the rules, this will be possible only after six months,” said John.
He reiterated the party leadership’s stand that the narrative that Congress members had joined the BJP in Mattathur was a fake news. “Our firm stand is that we will not ally with the BJP in any way. It just happened that the BJP members supported the candidates nominated by our people in an attempt to keep the CPI(M), which has been ruling the panchayat for a long time, out of power,” the MLA said.
In the 24-member panchayat, LDF secured 10 wards and UDF 8 and NDA 4. There are two independent councillors.
Ms. Kallarackal got 12 votes – backed by all eight former Congress members and three out of four BJP members. One BJP member’s vote was declared invalid. Independent Councilor KR Ouseph, a Congress rebel, received 10 votes from LDF members. Ms. Kallarackal will require the LDF’s support to stay in power if the Congress moves a no-confidence motion.
Published – 03 Jan 2026 20:05 IST
