T.P. Shaji, who resigned as vice-chairperson of Pattambi municipality, returns to Congress

TP Shaji, vice-chairman of the Left Democratic Front (LDF)-ruled Pattambi municipality in Palakkad, has returned to the Congress ahead of the local body elections in Kerala.

Mr. Shaji and around 200 members of the ‘We for Pattambi’ organization were welcomed to the Congresses by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph at the party’s State headquarters Indira Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, November 6, 2025.

Mr. Shaji had quit the Congress following a dispute over nomination and formed We for Pattambi ahead of the 2020 elections to local bodies in the state. They had won six seats and their decision to support the LDF had cost the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Pattambi municipality. LDF has run the municipality for the last five years with the support of We for Pattambi.

On his return to the Congress, Mr. Shaji said that no effort would be spared to bring the Congress back to power in the municipality in the 2025 elections.

As part of his decision, Congress leaders said Mr. Shaji resigned from his post as deputy mayor and councilor in the municipality. He held talks with senior leaders of the Congress and its UDF partner the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in the last few days, they said.

Mr Joseph described Mr Shaji as a “strong Congress leader” who was “coming home”. He described Mr. Shaji’s earlier issues with the Congress as a tussle.

Mr. Shaji, who entered politics through the Kerala Students Union (KSU) and later the Youth Congress, of which he was general secretary, previously served as the vice-president of the Pattambi panchayat bloc.

Mr. Joseph said that Mr. Shaji’s return to the Congress is just a beginning and many more workers from different parties will join the Congress in the coming days.