BJP and UDF councillors engaged in a physical scuffle during a Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation meeting on Monday [1, 3].
The clash highlights a deepening political crisis in Kerala's capital, where the legal status of a jailed official threatens the balance of power within the local government.
The confrontation erupted during a dispute over the signing of the attendance register [3]. According to some reports, the tension escalated after Congress leaders said BJP councillor Chempazhanthy Udayan assaulted opposition members [1]. Other accounts describe the scuffle as a direct result of the disagreement over the register [3].
At the center of the unrest is the detention of BJP councillor R. Sugathan, who was arrested under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, known as KAAPA [2, 4]. Sugathan was recently shifted to Viyyur Prison [2]. The UDF, a Congress-led coalition, and CPIM members have demanded his expulsion from the council [2].
Opposition leaders said the BJP is deliberately delaying council meetings to prevent the automatic disqualification of the jailed councillor [1, 5]. Under the provisions of KAAPA, such a detention can lead to the loss of a legislative or council seat. The UDF said the BJP is manipulating the meeting schedule to maintain its numerical strength in the corporation [5].
The BJP has not issued a formal statement regarding the allegations of delaying the meetings. However, the physical nature of the Monday clash underscores the volatility of the current council session as members fight over procedural rules and the legal standing of their colleagues [1, 3].
“A physical scuffle broke out during a council meeting over the signing of the attendance register.”
The conflict reflects a strategic legal battle over the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act. Because the detention of a councillor under KAAPA can trigger automatic disqualification, the timing of official council meetings becomes a tool for political survival. If the BJP is successfully delaying these sessions, they are effectively pausing the legal clock to prevent a shift in the corporation's power dynamics.
