Political Clash: Palakkad Council Chaos Over Bypoll Results

Political tensions flared in Palakkad's municipality as BJP, CPI(M), and Congress councillors clashed over bypoll outcomes. Congress-UDF's Rahul Mamkootathil secured a victory, prompting disputes over BJP's diminished vote share. The scuffle underscored local party dissent, reflecting broader political disagreements.

The BJP-governed municipality in Palakkad became an arena of chaos on Tuesday, as councillors from the BJP, CPI(M), and Congress broke into a scuffle during a council meeting sparked by recent by-election results.

Rahul Mamkootathil of the Congress-UDF emerged victorious, relegating the BJP-led NDA and CPI-headed LDF candidates to secondary positions. This outcome spurred a heated exchange between ruling and opposition members, significantly due to the BJP's decreased vote count.

The clash intensified when CPI(M) councillors questioned the BJP's vote drop, leading to a tit-for-tat confrontation. Visuals revealed councillors pushing and hurling insults, with Chairperson Prameela Sasidharan's appeals for order largely ignored. The incident highlighted internal party criticisms, particularly against state's party leadership.

(With inputs from agencies.)