Despite commanding a clear majority in the panchayat, the United Democratic Front (UDF) failed to retain power in the Erumely grama panchayat, with Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader Ambily Sajeevan elected as president of the local body on Monday (December 29, 2025).
Of the 24 members in the panchayat, only nine took part in the voting held in the morning. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) secured seven votes, while BJP member K.K. Rajan received two. Fourteen UDF members and one Independent member stayed away from the election.
The president’s post is reserved for a Scheduled Tribe (ST) member and the UDF does not have a single elected representative from the category. This procedural limitation proved decisive, despite the Congress-led front’s numerical dominance in the panchayat. At he same time, both the LDF and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) have one ST member each, enabling them to stake a valid claim to the presidency even without majority strength in the panchayat.
Published – December 29, 2025 07:50 pm IST
