Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Condemns Congress Defection to BJP in Mattathur

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has criticized the recent defection of Congress members to the BJP in Thrissur’s Mattathur panchayat, calling it a continuation of a “Kerala model” of political realignment. Writing on Facebook, the CM said that this was not a political phenomenon Kerala had seen before, but mirrored similar mass mergers in Arunachal Pradesh, Puducherry, and Goa, where entire Congress units joined the BJP.

“Congress candidates in Mattathur, who had contested and become panchayat members, collectively switched to the BJP to prevent an LDF president from taking office,” the CM wrote. “This shows that even those currently in Congress would not hesitate to join the BJP if it suited them. They have no qualms about replacing the hand symbol with the lotus.”

He also pointed out that the Congress-BJP adjustment is evident in multiple local bodies across Kerala. “This voluntary willingness of Congress to ‘sell itself’ facilitates the BJP’s expansion in the state. The Mattathur case is the latest chapter in Congress’s long-standing strategy to manipulate electoral outcomes and provide a base for the Sangh Parivar’s political ambitions,” he added.

He drew parallels with previous large-scale defections, noting that in 2016, 43 of 44 Congress MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh switched to the NDA overnight. Similarly, in Puducherry in 2021, Congress members enabled BJP rule despite having no elected MLAs, and in 2019, the entire Congress legislative party in Goa merged with the BJP. “The Mattathur episode follows the same Kerala-style playbook,” Pinarayi Vijayan said.

The episode demonstrates a wider political willingness among Congress members to realign opportunistically, he argued, enabling the BJP to consolidate power in Kerala.