The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala faces a political crisis after key leaders resigned from the Pandalam Municipality in Pathanamthitta district on Tuesday, December 3. Municipal Chairperson Susheela Santosh and Vice-Chairperson U Remya resigned from their posts just days before a no-confidence motion, moved by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to oust the BJP-led council, was set to be voted on.
While both Susheela and Remya cited "personal reasons" for their resignation, political sources indicate that they stepped down knowing that the motion was likely to succeed. Despite holding a majority with 18 out of 33 seats in the council, the BJP is in a precarious position due to internal factionalism and growing discontent. A significant bloc within the party, led by former BJP parliamentary party leader KV Prabha, has expressed support for the motion, leaving the party divided. Prabha, a senior leader, has been suspended from the BJP since September 12. The United Democratic Front (UDF) has also pledged its backing for the motion, further stacking the odds against the BJP.
Of the BJP’s 18 councillors in the Pandalam Municipal Council, 14 are women. Meanwhile, the LDF holds nine seats, the UDF has five, and one seat is held by an independent member.
Attempts by BJP State President K Surendran to mediate in the situation have reportedly failed. Surendran had previously camped in Palakkad last week to oversee the party's efforts during a by-election, which saw a significant loss for the BJP in the Palakkad Municipality. The defeat, where the party’s candidate C Krishnakumar lost badly, ignited unrest within the local BJP ranks. Some members blamed councillors, including the chairperson, for the setback.