The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lost power in the Paralam panchayat in Thrissur district after Left Democratic Front (LDF) members supported a no-confidence motion moved by the United Democratic Front (UDF). The Opposition secured 10 votes against the BJP’s six in the voting held on Thursday. One UDF member’s vote was declared invalid.

While the BJP described the development as a “betrayal of the people’s mandate”, the UDF termed it a victory for democracy. The UDF alleged that the BJP had captured the panchayat through political manoeuvring and an upset in the balance of power. The BJP had won control of the panchayat for the first time. The 17-member council had six members each from the BJP and the UDF, with the remaining seats held by the LDF. The BJP had secured power through a draw after the council was left evenly divided.

Six months after the BJP assumed office, the UDF moved the no-confidence motion. The motion was passed in Thursday’s vote with the support of the LDF, ending the BJP’s brief stint in power.

BJP slams alliance

BJP Thrissur district president Justin Jacob strongly criticised the LDF-UDF cooperation that brought down the BJP administration, alleging that a council elected by the people had been brought down through political manoeuvring. He said the coming together of the LDF and UDF — otherwise political opponents — to keep the BJP out of power was a warning about the “dangerous direction” of Keralam politics.

“It is an insult to democracy when those who criticised each other until yesterday join hands today to oppose the BJP,” he said. The Paralam episode, he added, had once again demonstrated what the BJP had been claiming from the beginning — that “the Left and the Right are not two, but one.”

“The BJP will build a strong people’s resistance against such unholy alliances formed with the sole objective of stopping the party,” Mr. Jacob said.