Thrissur, Dec. 28 -- In a dramatic political turn, eight Congress councillors who resigned from the party joined hands with the BJP to ensure the election of independent candidate Tessy Jose Kallarakkal as president of the Mattathur grama panchayat on Saturday, ending the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) 23-year-long control of the local body, on Sunday.

Mattathur panchayat has 24 wards. In the recent local body elections, the LDF won 10 seats, the UDF eight, the NDA four, while two independents were elected. The LDF had fielded independent councillor K R Ouseph as its presidential candidate, while the UDF backed the other independent, Tessy Jose Kallarakkal.

In the decisive vote, Tessy Jose secured 12 votes, eight from the resigned Congre...