Dissidents are raising the stakes for the official candidates of all major fronts in the local body polls, with the Congress facing the gravest threat.
Hundreds of political leaders appear to have taken their cue from M.K. Varghese, a Congress rebel-turned-Independent, who became Mayor of the Thrissur Corporation with the support of the Left Democratic Front, and have thrown their hats into the ring against the official candidates of their own parties.
In the Thrissur Corporation, dissidents are turning the heat on United Democratic Front candidates in five divisions, while the LDF faces the problem in four and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in one.
The Guruvayur municipality sees rebel contestants against all three fronts. In the Irijnalakuda municipality, Congress members are contesting as Independents in two wards held by the Kerala Congress.
A dramatic twist unfolded in the Chavakkad municipality’s seventh ward, where an intense tug-of-war between ‘A’ and ‘I’ group women leaders forced the District Congress Committee to take the bizarre decision of denying the party symbol to both.
A dummy candidate was allotted the ‘hand’ symbol, but when the sidelined women leaders refused to step back, the dummy eventually withdrew, leaving the Congress without an official candidate in the ward.
Rebels are taking on LDF candidates in five wards of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, while UDF rebels are contesting in four wards.
The Feroke municipality in Kozhikode has the UDF reeling under threat from rebels. Congress and Indian Union Muslim League dissidents have stepped up their challenge across the Kozhikode Corporation, several block and grama panchayats, and the Vadakara municipality.
For the Left, trouble is brewing in the Nadapuram and Olavanna panchayats.
Four UDF rebels have pitted themselves against the official candidates in the Kattappana municipality, while in Kochi the threat has emerged for the UDF in at least 10 wards.
In Cherlai, six-time councillor Shyamala S. Prabhu has emerged as a high-profile rebel against the official BJP candidate. The threat from rebels is present for the UDF in six wards of the Thrikkakara municipality, while the LDF faces it in two.
Rebels are throwing a spanner in the works for both the LDF and the UDF in Kollam as well. In the Thodiyur grama panchayat in Kollam, the previous UDF chairman is contesting as a rebel candidate. The issue persists for both fronts in the Paravur municipality and in grama panchayats such as Chadayamangalam, Neduvathur, and Thenmala. Hamsath Beevi, who represented the UDF in the Kolloorvila ward in the outgoing Kollam Corporation council, is now contesting as an Independent.
In Pathanamthitta, rebel candidates have surfaced across key municipalities and panchayats, including Pathanamthitta, Adoor, and Thiruvalla, as well as several local bodies such as Ezhamkulam, Pazhavangadi, Ranni, Naranamoozhi, Vechoochira, and Konni.
In Thiruvalla, both the LDF and UDF face rebel candidates in Ward 36, while Congress mandalam committee president Vinod Mambalam is contesting as an Independent in Ward 39. In Pathanamthitta, CPI(M) branch secretary M. Shefeena is running as a rebel in Ward 14 against the official CPI nominee.
In the Kulanada panchayat, a BJP stronghold, the party is dealing with two rebels — Abhilash Raj and V.R. Vinod Kumar, the latter, a sitting panchayat member.Â
Kottayam is no exception to the rebellion wave, with the Ettumanur municipality leading the charge — the NDA and LDF are each facing two rebels, while the UDF has one.
In Pala municipality’s ward 19, Congress candidate Satheesh Chollani faces a rebel challenge from the party’s outgoing councillor Maya Rahul.
In the Kottayam municipality, chairperson Bincy Sebastian faces a rebel in ward 53, while the CPI(M) and the CPI will go head-to-head in Ward 20 of the Aymanam panchayat. In the Elikkulam panchayat, Kerala Congress (M) leader Mahesh is contesting as a rebel in Ward 7, and in the Erumely panchayat, CPI(M) ward member P.K. Thulasi is running as a rebel. Anita Sanosh of the Congress is also in the fray as a rebel candidate in the Pazhayidom ward of the same panchayat.
In the Vazhakkala ward of the Erumely panchayat, an IUML candidate is contesting against the UDF-supported Independent, while Congress Independent Liji Sani is running as a rebel in the Sreenipuram ward.
Published – November 25, 2025 09:32 pm IST
