VD Satheesan’s Curious Claim: Congress Members Did Not Join BJP in Mattathur; Calls It Support to Rebel Candidate

Thiruvananthapuram: Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has come out with a controversial justification over the mass defection of Congress members that enabled the BJP to take control of the Mattathur panchayat in Thrissur district. Satheesan claimed that no Congress member had joined the BJP and that the episode merely involved extending support to a rebel candidate against the LDF’s nominated president.

Responding to media queries, Satheesan said disciplinary action was taken against the Congress members only because they acted without consulting the party. “They did not join the BJP; they only supported a rebel candidate against the LDF’s choice,” he said.

However, on the morning of the presidential election in Mattathur, all Congress members resigned en masse, clearing the way for the BJP to seize control of the panchayat. Independent candidate Tessy Jose Kallarackal, who contested as a rebel, was elected president with the support of BJP and Congress members. In the 24-member panchayat, the BJP–Congress combine secured 12 votes, while LDF candidate K.O. Ouseph received 11 votes. One vote was declared invalid.

For the vice-president’s post, Congress member P.U. Noorjahan won with BJP support, securing 13 votes. The party strength in the panchayat stood at LDF–10, UDF–8, BJP–4, and Independents–2. Of the two independents, one supported the LDF and the other backed the UDF.

All eight Congress members had formally informed the DCC president of their resignation through a letter before extending support to Tessy Jose Kallarackal for the president’s post. Party workers have alleged that the political manoeuvre was orchestrated under the leadership of DCC general secretary T.M. Chandran and Mattathur mandalam president Shafi Kalluparambil.

Following the controversy, and in what was seen as an attempt at damage control, the Congress expelled Chandran and Shafi from the party’s primary membership. The decision was announced through a KPCC press release.