Munnar hopes for stability after a term of defections, power struggle

Munnar grama panchayat holds out hope of rare stability. The last five years have been filled with political turmoil, with five different presidents taking turns coming to power.

Munnar is a popular tourist destination, but the panchayat regularly witnesses traffic jams lasting for hours and parking is lacking. The lack of a bus stop and inconvenience to tourists are among the biggest concerns.

“Although there are hundreds of hotels and holiday villages hereThere are no suitable waste treatment facilities or sewage facilities. “It is a common occurrence for wild elephants to eat plastic-mixed waste at a panchayat-run waste treatment plant in Kallar,” says a tourism stakeholder. The waste treatment plant in Kallar is not yet fully-fledged.

The number of wards in the Panchayat decreased from 21 to 20 after delimitation. Most of the voters here are tea plantation workers and Tamil voters are the deciding factor.

In the 2020 local elections, the United Democratic Front (UDF) won 11 out of 21 seats, and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) won 10 seats and gained the majority. However, in January 2022, two UDF members Praveena Ravikumar and M. Rajendran defected to LDF, disrupting the balance of power. Later, Ms. Ravikumar became the president and Mr. Rajendran became the vice-president.

movement of distrust

A series of escapes followed. In August 2022, Thankamudy from Communist Party of India (CPI) joined UDF and in February 2023, V. Balachandran from Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] member followed him. Sensing an opportunity, the UDF called for a no-confidence motion. But just before the motion, the panchayat secretary received Mr. Rajendran’s resignation letter. Mr Rajendran later claimed that his signature was forged. The State Election Commission (DSK) allowed him to continue his duties while the matter was investigated.

In October 2023, the SEC formally disqualified Ms. Ravikumar and Mr. Rajendran for switching parties, following which the Congress won the no-confidence motion. However, one vote was deemed invalid and equality was achieved. Then Deepa Rajkumar from Congress became the president by lottery.

Later, he was disqualified after deficiencies were detected in the draw, resulting in LDF’s Jyothy Satheeshkumar becoming the panchayat chief. Six months laterUDF regained power with Ms. Rajkumar becoming president.

Later, Ms. Rajkumar tendered her resignation. However, he soon withdrew, claiming pressure. He submitted a second letter claiming that his resignation was made under duress and that the signature was forged by Congressional staffers.

The panchayat secretary forwarded both letters to the SEC, allowing him to continue in office. Congress members then moved a no-confidence motion, forcing Ms. Rajkumar to resign. In May 2025, M. Manimozhi from Congress became president.

KV Sasi, CPI(M) district secretariat member, says: “LDF aims to gain power in the panchayat with a strong margin. If it comes to power, the front will improve facilities and take steps to control the agitation in the town.”

“Congress aims to ensure development-oriented governance in Munnar. Proper waste treatment plants and parking facilities are our main concerns,” says Congress block committee president S. Vijayakumar.

“Bus stops, parking facilities and waste management systems are our priority,” says Balamurukan, Munnar panchayat in-charge of the Bharatiya Janata Party.