Binu Pulickakandam as king maker in Pala Municipality, thumping win for daughter and brother

KOTTAYAM: A thumping majority for Binu Pulickakandam, who protested by wearing black dress after the CPM denied him the chairman post of Pala Municipality, in the local body polls. Apart from Binu, his brother Biju Pulickakandam and daughter Diya Pulickakandam also won the polls. All three contested as independents.

They contested in wards 13, 14 and 15 of the Pala Municipality. Binu has been a councilor for 20 years. He won once as a CPM candidate, once as a BJP candidate and twice as an independent. Binu is also the only person to have contested and won on the CPM symbol in the present municipality.

Binu was expelled by the CPM following a dispute with the Kerala Congress (M). Binu has also worked actively with Union Minister Suresh Gopi. He had voted in Thrissur in the last Lok Sabha elections.

His 21-year-old daughter Diya, contesting polls for the first time, is a graduate. Diya, who graduated from Madras Christian College, is planning to pursue MBA and is studying for the entrance. Biju and Binu are sons of P V Sukumaran Nair Pulickakandam, who was the vice president of the Kerala Congress (M) Pala constituency for 40 years.

Meanwhile, the UDF is making a headway in the state local body elections. The UDF continues its lead in 444 grama panchayats. The UDF is leading in 80 block panchayats and 55 municipalities.