MALAPPURAM: In Kerala’s political convention, Ponmundam grama panchayat in Malappuram is an anomaly. Here, state-level allies Congress and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) are bitter rivals. And to counter the League, Congress is once again joining hands with CPM, its political adversary in the state. Following the tie up, the Congress district leadership dissolved the Ponmundam constituency committee on Monday.
Yes, this local body elections mark the return of the ‘Sambar Munnani’ – as its opponents mockingly call the Congress-CPM combine – after three decades to take on IUML. Since the panchayat’s formation in 1955, its electorate has largely oscillated between IUML and Congress, with UDF arithmetic rendered meaningless due to deep-rooted grassroots rivalry between the coalition partners.
The contest is an extension of a 70-year political antagonism, with both camps intensifying allegations and counter-allegations. The genesis of the Sambar Munnani dates back to 1996 when Congress, seeking to break IUML’s dominance, aligned with CPM for the first time. The experiment failed, and IUML regained power with renewed public mandate.
Though Congress managed to capture the panchayat during the 2005-10 term, it was unable to sustain the momentum. IUML reclaimed authority in the subsequent elections by winning nine of 16 seats and has retained absolute control since, winning 10 seats in 2010, 11 in 2015 and 12 in 2020. CPM, meanwhile, has remained marginal, securing just one seat in 1996 and 2000.
Now, 29 years later, Congress and CPM are once more compelled to close ranks, rebranding the formation as a Janakeeya Munnani and positioning it as a people’s resistance against what they term IUML’s communal politics. Candidates will contest as independents under this collective identity. IUML, however, has dismissed the coalition as a ‘Sambar Munnani’ born out of political desperation.
This year, with the panchayat restructured to 19 wards, IUML will contest 18 seats while extending one to Welfare Party. Meanwhile, under Janakeeya Munnani, Congress will fight in 13 wards, CPM five and Team Ponmundam one.
Team Ponmundam comprises supporters of Sports Minister V Abdurahiman, who parted ways with Congress and joined the Left. His continued influence in the Tanur assembly segment remains decisive, with a notable faction of Congress workers still loyal to him. This dynamic has repeatedly weakened IUML’s prospects in the assembly arena and continues to fuel hostility between League and Congress at the local level.
For the Janakeeya Munnani, the central campaign narrative is “development stagnation”. The Ponmundam Youth Congress has launched targeted digital campaigns alleging that IUML has failed to advance development despite long-standing rule. IUML’s primary narrative focuses on political credibility, accusing the Congress of being incapable of opposing the Pinarayi Vijayan government while simultaneously allying with CPM for electoral gain.
With the elections less than two weeks away, the Ponmundam electorate is witnessing a contest not merely for power but for the political soul of a panchayat that has long served as a microcosm of Kerala’s shifting coalition politics. Will IUML retain its hold or will a renewed, albeit uneasy, alliance script history? The verdict, on December 13, will tell.
‘Sonia Gandhi’ contesting for BJP from Munnar
‘Sonia Gandhi’ is contesting the local body polls this time from Munnar grama panchayat in Idukki district. But this Sonia is not representing the Congress, but instead is a candidate of its arch rival, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), creating ripples in the UDF-favoured local body.
The 33-year-old is contesting in Nallathani ward of Munnar panchayat up against UDF’s Manjula Ramesh and LDF’s S Valarmathy. She is currently going door-to-door seeking support in the civic polls, with hopes of winning a seat as a panchayat member.
Sonia was named after the senior Congress leader by her father Durai Raj, a devout UDF follower. However, she decided to enter the fray as an NDA candidate as her husband Subhash is the BJP panchayat general secretary.