CPM defeats Shornur rebels,but with some help from BJP

The CPIM held on to the Shornur municipality after one BJP and one Congress member tactically abstained from the no-confidence...

The CPIM held on to the Shornur municipality after one BJP and one Congress member tactically abstained from the no-confidence motion jointly moved by the Congress and CPIM rebels. An embarressed Congress later sacked K Muralidharan,who stayed away from voting.

In the December bypoll held to nine divisions of the municipality in Palakkad district,the Peoples Development Committee PDC,formed by CPIM rebels,had bagged eight seats. The humiliating defeat had reduced the ruling CPIM to a minority in the council,occupied by it for the past three decades. The lone BJP member in the council became a crucial factor when the CPIMs strength was reduced to 14 in the 30-member council after the elections. The Congress-PDC alliance has 15 councillors.

As governance of the municipality became a prestige issue,the CPIM secretly ensured the support of the BJP in the no-confidence motion. When the notice was put for discussion on Saturday,BJP member V Unnikrishnan walked out of the council hall.

The nexus between the two parties had recently come to the fore,when a TV channel released details of phone calls between two BJP and CPIM leaders allegedly trading votes.

The CPIM clinging on to power with the support of the BJP is a moral victory for the rebels. The implicit support of the BJP would take the wind out of the CPIM campaign against the Sangh Parivar. The party would have to explain why its activists have been engaged in murder politics with the Parivar in Kannur,if the party can seek saffron support for sticking on to power.

Muralidharan kept away from the council meeting apparently taking advantage of the Congress leaderships failure to issue a whip,and probably thinking the party would hence not take any action against him.

The CPIM has lost the moral ground to continue in power. The non-confidence motion has exposed the unholy alliance between CPI M and BJP, said PDC convener M R Murali.

Shaju Philip

Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More