Crisis deepens in Pala UDF as six councillors declare ‘no confidence’ in chairperson

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The tenuous coalition that brought the United Democratic Front (UDF) to power in the Pala municipality appeared on the brink of collapse on Thursday (June 11) with six councillors of the ruling combine hardening their stance against the chairperson.

In a letter submitted to the UDF leadership, the councillors, including incumbent vice-chairperson Maya Rahul, stated that they no longer had confidence in the three-member independent collective to which Chairperson Diya Pulikkakandam belongs. The Congress signatories to the letter are Biju Mathews, Lissikutty Mathew, Riya Cheeramkuzhy, Tony Thaiparambil and Rajith Prakash.

The letter alleges that the Congress has repeatedly suffered humiliation at the hands of the independent collective and that neither the Congress councillors nor the standing committee chairpersons representing the party have been given any meaningful role in the administration of the municipality. Despite this, it says, the Congress councillors had refrained from raising objections in the interest of ensuring the UDF’s victory in Pala and strengthening the front in the State.

In a significant political move later in the day, the Congress councillors in the municipality elected Tony Thaiparambil as the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party.

The developments assume added significance because the UDF enjoys only a razor-thin majority in the 26-member council. The front has 10 members, comprising six Congress councillors, three from Kerala Congress (Joseph) and one from the Kerala Democratic Party (KDP). It is only with the support of the three-member independent collective and a Congress rebel that the UDF has managed to retain control of the municipality.

The latest developments have fuelled speculation that Chairperson Diya Pulikkakandam could resign, a scenario that may pave the way for the Kerala Congress (M) to regain control of the municipality, which had slipped from its hands only a few months ago.

Adding to the intrigue, the KC(M) has now clarifi