Pala: In a remarkable outcome at the Pala Municipality elections, independents from the Pulikkakandam family secured victories across multiple wards. Binu Pulikkakandam, his daughter Diya (21) and brother Biju Pulikkakandam all won their respective contests, running as Independents. Binu contested from Ward 14, Biju from Ward 13 and Diya from Ward 15. Notably, the UDF did not field candidates in these three wards, instead backing the coalition of Independents led by Binu.

Binu Pulikkakandam began his political journey as a Congress leader, later winning as an Independent. In 2015, he won on a BJP ticket, marking the party’s first major win in Pala, defeating his brother Biju, who contested as a UDF candidate. In 2020, he won as a CPM representative, becoming the only Left-wing candidate to succeed under the party symbol. Despite publicly criticising Jose K Mani, Binu did not receive a chairman post due to pressure from the Kerala Congress, prompting him to contest once again as an Independent.

Biju Pulikkakandam has served as the state vice-president of the Youth Front (M), the youth wing of the Kerala Congress, and has been active in the film industry. He is also a close associate of Union Minister Suresh Gopi and campaigned alongside him in Thrissur during the last Lok Sabha elections. Diya, after completing a degree in Economics from Madras Christian College, entered the electoral fray while preparing for her MBA studies.