Kadamakudy shocker for Congress as candidate’s nomination gets rejected

The Congress on Saturday (November 22, 2025) suffered a major setback as the nomination papers filed by a candidate to the Ernakulam district panchayat got rejected after scrutiny. The nomination papers filed by Elsy George, who sought to contest to the newly created Kadamakudy division, was rejected after it was found that a person who had seconded her candidature was a voter outside the division.

Ms. Elsy, who represents the Vallarpadam division, is the vice chairperson in the outgoing council. The scrutiny was done by District Collector G. Priyanka, who is the returning officer for the district panchayat, at the collectorate. A total of 255 nominations filed for the district panchayat elections were accepted, while eight were rejected. Nominations can be withdrawn till November 24.

Cong. blames officials

Meanwhile, the Congress accused election officials of acting with political bias. District Congress Committee president Muhammed Shiyas said Ms. Elsy and party leaders with her had raised doubts over the vote of the person who seconded her while submitting the papers, and that her nomination was accepted after the officials concerned cross-checked the voters’ list twice.

“Though the candidate and leaders with her, who still had doubts, tried to get them clarified again, the police did not allow them to enter the Collector’s chamber. From this, it is evident that officials had colluded to commit a deliberate misappropriation. The Left Democratic Front knows that it will not be in the picture in Ernakulam if elections are conducted fairly. Hence, it has deputed officials aligned to it to commit such irregularities,” Mr. Shiyas alleged.

He said the Congress would go to any length, legally and politically, to fight the rejection of the candidate’s nomination. The rejection of the nominations of two candidates in the Alangad block panchayat has, meanwhile, added to the United Democratic Front’s election woes in the district.

12,580 nominations

A total of 12,580 nominations filed by candidates in various local bodies in the district were accepted by 8 p.m. on Saturday even as scrutiny was progressing at various centres. They include 6,755 women and 5,825 men. A total of 348 nominations (186 female, 162 male) were rejected.