KOCHI: With scrutiny of nominations for the local body elections complete, all three fronts are staring at rebellion in Kochi corporation, Congress-led UDF being the heaviest hit.
The UDF is grappling with as many as 11 rebels, many of them seasoned hands who have jumped into the fray as independents. The LDF is battling two rebels, while the BJP has one —its six-term Cherlai councillor Shyamala S Prabhu, who has stunned both allies and rivals alike by declaring that she is going “100% independent”.
The revolt in UDF is particularly stinging. Sitting Congress councillors Malini Kurup and Bastine Babu are running independently from Girinagar and Chullikkal. Malini is a three-term councillor and the tax appeal standing committee chairperson of the outgoing council, while Bastine, a Youth Congress member, is the Karuvelipady councillor.
Former IUML district women’s wing secretary Saji Kabir has also broken ranks in Kalvathy, alleging women leaders in the party were sidelined during seat finalisation. Saji was the IUML candidate in the division in 2015.
Former deputy mayor K R Premakumar too has opted out of the Congress, as has the UDF Thrikkakara constituency chairperson Joseph Alex, both contesting as independents.
The list of UDF rebels doesn’t end there — Harish Poonithura (Poonithura), K J Sony (Moolamkuzhy), Sheeba Shabby (Panayappilly), Hasina Najeeb (Perumpadappu), INTUC leader K K Nishad (Palluruthy), and Mahila Congress leader Raheesa Salam (Nambyapuram) all feature in the growing mutiny.
The LDF has two rebels in Kalvathy — Zeenath Zathar and Sali Khath.
But with the Congress-led front bleeding the most, the battle may hinge less on traditional rivalries and more on who survives their own rank-and-file revolt.