Surprise omissions, rising rebels shake up Congress campaign in Kochi

The Congress party’s decision to withhold candidate announcements for two divisions — Cheralayi and Ravipuram — has set the rumour mill in motion, while the party now faces the prospect of the first potential rebel candidacy of this election season in Girinagar.

The name of dissident six-time BJP councillor Shyamala S. Prabhu has been circulating in connection with Cheralayi, a ward she represented from the late 1980s until 2020. However, Ms. Prabhu, who has announced her decision to contest as an Independent after being excluded from the BJP’s initial list released on Wednesday, denied any association with the UDF.

“Earlier, a few members of the UDF had broached the idea, which I rejected outright. I have no idea who is spreading these rumours. My decision to contest as an Independent, without the backing of any political front, remains unchanged,” Ms. Prabhu said. Despite assurances from the BJP leadership that her claim would be considered favourably, she was ultimately sidelined as the party named another candidate from the ward in its first list.

Ms. Prabhu said that the party did not even extend the courtesy of informing her about the decision. The veteran leader convened a meeting of her close associates at her residence on Thursday evening to officially communicate her decision to contest as an Independent and to seek their feedback.

However, sources in the District Congress Committee indicated that such a move was already in the works, and that she had been approached.

In the Ravipuram ward, the Congress is reportedly in talks with former Mayor Soumini Jain. She represented the ward during her tumultuous mayoral tenure from 2015 to 2020, during which she had a falling out with the party. Having served as Mayor, she is reportedly reluctant to contest merely as a councillor. She is seeking an assurance from the party that she will be nominated as Mayor if the United Democratic Front secures a majority. With several seasoned women candidates in the fray, it may not be easy for the party to offer such a guarantee.

Meanwhile, sitting councillor from Girinagar, Malini Kurup, has raised a banner of revolt after being excluded. The three-time councillor has announced her intention to contest as an Independent from the ward, possibly with the support of the Communist Party of India. “The party doesn’t seem to want people who work on the ground but has instead chosen someone who has lost twice before,” said Ms. Kurup. She also accused the leadership of religious appeasement by favouring a Christian candidate in Girinagar, a ward with a Hindu majority.

Santha Vijayan, the sitting Congress councillor from Devankulangara, formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after receiving party membership from senior leader M.T. Ramesh at a function held at Thripunithura on Thursday evening. Shortly after she switched sides, DCC president Muhammed Shiyas expelled her from the party.