Published Jul 21, 2026 | 2:01 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 21, 2026 | 2:01 PM
Diya Binu Pulikakandam was 21 when she took charge as the Chairperson of Pala Municipality.
Synopsis: The LDF capitalised on the widening rift among the Congress councillors over supporting an incident, and moved a no-trust motion. Four Congress councillors ignored the party whip to stay away from the council meeting, and voted against Diya Binu Pulikakandam.
India’s youngest municipal chairperson was ousted from office after four Congress councillors rebelled and voted against her on Tuesday, 21 July.
The Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) moved a no-confidence motion against chairperson Diya Binu Pulikakandam in the Pala Municipality.
The motion had the support of four ‘rebel’ Congress councillors, Lissy Kutty Mathew, Biju Mathews, Tony Thaiparambil and Rajitha Prakash. They defied the Congress whip and attended the council meeting.
The motion sailed through with 17 unanimous votes in the 26-member council, which has 12 LDF members.
Vice-chairperson Maya Rahul, elected as a Congress rebel, also favoured the motion.
Also Read: Congress withdrawal plunges India’s youngest municipal chairperson’s administration into crisis
The Congress had directed its councillors to stay away from the meeting to prevent the fall of the UDF administration.
However, the four councillors ignored the directive, making the passage of the motion almost inevitable.
Congress councillors Riya Cheeramkuzhi and Sebastian Panakkal were absent.
Also absent were Kerala Congress members Sonia Chittet, Biju Varikani and CG Tony, along with KDP member Prince Sunny.
The no-confidence motion required the support of 14 members to succeed.
With the backing of the rebel Congress councillors and Maya Rahul, the LDF comfortably crossed the required mark.
The political crisis in the UDF-run municipality had been brewing for weeks after Congress councillors and Maya Rahul opposed continuing support to the independent-led administration headed by Diya.
Sensing an opportunity, the LDF moved the no-confidence motion to capitalise on the widening rift within the ruling front.
Diya, now 22, had assumed office in December 2025 and grabbed national attention as the country’s youngest municipal chairperson.
However, her leadership faced growing resistance within the Congress, with several party councillors openly opposing the arrangement under which an independent headed the municipality.
Despite last-minute efforts by KPCC and district Congress leaders to persuade the dissident councillors to fall in line, the talks ended without a breakthrough.
The Congress had earlier withdrawn its support to the independent-led coalition, and the successful no-confidence motion has now brought the UDF administration in Pala to an end.
The district Congress leadership indicated disciplinary action against those who violated the party whip.
