Sun Dec 28 12:34:58 UTC 2025: News Article:
Kerala Congress Faces Scrutiny After BJP Gains Power in Mattathur Panchayat
Thiruvananthapuram, December 28, 2025 – The Congress party in Kerala is facing criticism after eight of its elected ward members in the Mattathur grama panchayat in Thrissur voted to enable the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to gain power. The incident has sparked a political row, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accusing the Congress of an “embarrassing political volte-face.”
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has denied that any Congress workers defected to the BJP, claiming instead that the members violated the party whip to thwart a CPI(M)-backed rebel candidate. He further alleged that the CPI(M) is a covert ally of the BJP in Kerala.
Chief Minister Vijayan countered by pointing to past instances where the BJP gained power in other states, such as Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, and Puducherry, through defections and horse-trading. He warned that the “Mattathur model” could be a sign of the BJP’s growing influence in Kerala and a potential threat to the state’s secular and progressive values in the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections.
A Congress insider attributed the incident to a lack of vigilance by the district leadership and expressed concern that the CPI(M) is using the situation to undermine the Congress’s support among minority communities, particularly Muslims. The party is expected to face scrutiny from its allies, including the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), at the next UDF leadership meeting.
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