PATHANAMTHITTA: BJP retains power in Pandalam Municipal Council. Councilor Achankunju John was elected as the municipal chairman. All the three BJP councilors who had friction with the party voted for John. John got 19 votes. Apart from 18 BJP members, BJP got the vote of one independent also. Kerala Congress Joseph section member did not vote. Four Congress members abstained from voting.
The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporation had resigned the other day. Municipal Corporation Chairperson Sushila Santhosh and Vice Chairperson U Ramya resigned before the no-confidence motion brought by the LDF with the support of the BJP rebel was discussed. With this, the meeting called to discuss the no-confidence was cancelled. The surprise resignation came after it was hinted that three BJP councillors would defect.
BJP: 18, LDF: 9, UDF: 5, independent: 1 such is the party status in the municipal council. In the 33-member council, three members from the BJP, including one suspended member, were rumoured to support the no-confidence motion. It is also indicated that the leadership intervened and asked the leaders to resign due to the concern that if the vote of no confidence was passed, the BJP's membership would be reduced to 15 and the power would be lost.
Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran announced that the Pandalam Municipal Corporation has withdrawn the suspension of councillor KV Prabha. He informed this through a press release.
Pandalam is the BJP-ruled municipality in the state apart from Palakkad. There have been rifts in the BJP since the election of Sushila Santhosh as the chairperson. Under the leadership of senior member KV Prabha, who was expected to become the chairman, the opposition faction had made secret and overt moves against the chairperson. The footage of the fight between Prabha and the chairperson in the council meeting was circulated. It was the 2018 Sabarimala agitation that brought the BJP to power in Pandalam. The BJP was taking over the rule from the LDF.