MALAPPURAM: Local level differences between the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Congress gave power in three grama panchayats in the district — Edapatta, Porur and Kalady — to the Left Democratic Front (LDF).

However, confusion prevailed in Kalady, one of the two newly carved panchayats in the district, with the IUML rebel president reportedly vouching her allegiance to the party.

Kalady panchayat in Ponnani block witnessed high drama on Thursday when IUML's rebel president K. Fathima defeated the official UDF candidate A.V. Laila with the support of five LDF and two Democratic Indira Congress (K) members. The UDF had secured eight seats and the LDF-DIC(K) combine seven seats in the 15-member Kalady panchayat council. The IUML had first suggested Ms. Fathima for the president's post, but later changed its decision to field Ms. Laila. In protest, and backed by the seven members of the LDF and DIC (K), Ms. Fathima contested and won the presidentship.

After hours of persuasion, Ms. Fathima is understood to have offered to step down and offer presidentship to Ms. Laila. In Edapatta panchayat, under Perinthalmanna block, IUML did not support the Congress for presidentship and eventually the LDF got power. The Congress here had got six seats, the LDF five and the IUML three.

With IUML's support, Pandarathodi Prabhavati of LDF was elected president of Edapatta panchayat. Kulanthodan Umer Haji of UDF is vice-president.

The situation in Porur panchayat, where the Congress, IUML and the LDF contested the elections independently, was different. The LDF had bagged eight seats in this 16-member panchayat council. The Congress had got six seats and the IUML two. The LDF got power when the two members of the IUML kept away from voting for the president's election. C.P. Unnichathan of the LDF was elected president and Kanniyan Abdul Kareem of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) vice-president.

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