KOCHI: As nominations opened for the Kochi corporation election on Friday, cracks in the city’s political landscape started to show -- exposing rebellions, resignations and rapid-fire crossovers that have left all three major fronts scrambling to control the damage.
What should have been a routine start to the poll process has instead turned into a high-voltage political drama, with leaders forced into firefighting mode as aspirants revolt. The biggest jolt to the Left was dealt early in the day. Deputy mayor and Mattancherry CPI councillor K A Ansiya quit the party, accusing it of fielding candidates who are not even members.
Though she ruled out contesting this time, her exit has embarrassed the party at a crucial juncture. In a curious twist, she insisted she would continue “working with the Left front”, even as CPI leaders rejected her allegation and defended the candidate-selection process as “fully democratic”.
But the tremors in the UDF camp have been louder, deeper and more damaging. Malini Kurup, a three-term councillor, standing committee chairperson and one-time mayoral aspirant, exploded in anger after being denied the Girinagar seat.
Distancing herself from the Congress, Malini declared she would contest as an independent, calling her move “a matter of self-respect”. Coming from a senior and widely networked leader, her rebellion has triggered panic in the UDF unit.
Malini’s revolt caps a rough fortnight for the Congress-led front. Three sitting councillors have already walked out. Vyttila councillor Sunitha Dixon joined the BJP last week and is now the saffron party’s candidate in Ponnurunni East. Devankulangara councillor Santha Vijayan defected the same day. Meanwhile, Youth Congress worker and Karuvelipady councillor Bastine Babu lashed out at the party after being denied a seat, with the division now reserved for women.
The LDF is navigating its own set of surprises. Current health committee chairperson T K Ashraf, who is an influential independent councillor backing the Left, is set to switch sides and contest on a Muslim League ticket from Kaloor North.
Shyamala to run as independent
Even the BJP, which was hoping to capitalise on the turmoil, has had its fair share of trouble.
Late on Friday, six-time councillor and senior party leader Shyamala S Prabhu announced that she will contest from Cheralayi division as an independent. The decision was taken after the BJP district leadership ignored her claim to the seat. However, Shyamala dismissed rumours that she will be contesting as a UDF-supported independent.
“I am a dedicated worker of the BJP and will not quit the party. I decided to contest as some local leaders of the BJP have sidelined me. I will accept support from any quarter. But I will not join any other party,” she said. The BJP had announced E S Pravitha as the candidate for Cheralayi.
Congress for Thammanam
District Congress Committee (DCC) president Mohammed Shiyas on Friday announced that Divya Rajesh will be the Congress candidate for division 41, Thammanam -- the SC/ST women’s reservation seat that was promised to the Muslim League.