Archive · 7 Sep 2026
Kerala Congress Row Over MLA Aide Exposes Internal Power Struggle
A fight has caused problems inside Kerala’s Congress party.
It started because an aide who works with MLA Ramya Haridas attended a government meeting.
Some party members questioned why he was there.
The disagreement later moved to a local leader’s home and became a physical fight.
A video showed Haridas hitting a Congress worker, while another person held her hand.
Both sides complained to the police, but an FIR was registered only against some local leaders.
Congress leaders are investigating what happened.
The dispute has also reminded the party of earlier problems involving aides of political leaders.
A dispute over MLA Ramya Haridas’s aide Palayam Pradeep has triggered an internal Congress controversy in Kerala.
The dispute began after Pradeep attended an official meeting on SC/ST project implementation in Chirayinkeezhu.
A later confrontation at a local Congress leader’s home became physical, with video showing Haridas striking a worker.
Police registered an SC/ST Act FIR against local leaders, while no action had yet been taken against Haridas.
The episode has revived Congress concerns about aides’ influence and the party’s past controversies involving political staff.
- Who
- Congress MLA Ramya Haridas, her aide Palayam Pradeep, and local Congress leaders including S Sajad and Sajith Muttambalam.
- What
- A dispute over an aide’s participation in government affairs escalated into a physical confrontation and competing police complaints.
- When
- The controversy began on September 4; the article says the dispute and party inquiry continued afterward.
- Where
- Chirayinkeezhu in Kerala, including a block panchayat office and a local leader’s home.
- Why
- Party members questioned Pradeep’s presence at an official SC/ST project meeting and alleged attempts to influence contractors.
Party Critics
Haridas and Supporters
Aide’s role in official meetings
Party Critics
Critics within Congress say Pradeep had no right to attend the official SC/ST project meeting because he was not an elected representative or invited participant, and they allege he tried to influence contractors.
Haridas and Supporters
Haridas’s side maintains that the MLA must have space to function and that her work should not be disrupted, although the article does not provide a detailed defense of Pradeep’s attendance.
Handling the confrontation
Party Critics
Congress leaders including K Muraleedharan said people’s representatives should be vigilant and that complaints should first have been taken to party leadership rather than the police.
Haridas and Supporters
Haridas played down the confrontation, saying such incidents can happen in any party or household and should be resolved through discussion.
Police and accountability
Party Critics
The registration of an FIR against local leaders under the SC/ST Act reflects the allegations made against them, according to the reported police action.
Haridas and Supporters
Haridas’s side has also filed a complaint, but police had not taken action against the MLA at the time of the report, creating criticism over differing treatment.
- State government
- The Congress-led United Democratic Front government in Kerala was four months into office.
- MLA
- Ramya Haridas represents Chirayinkeezhu in the Kerala Assembly.
- Aide at center of dispute
- Palayam Pradeep has been associated with Haridas since her time as a Member of Parliament.
- Triggering event
- Pradeep attended a meeting concerning SC/ST project implementation at the Chirayinkeezhu block panchayat office.
- Police action
- An FIR under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered against local leaders, including S Sajad and Sajith Muttambalam.
- Congress inquiry
- The state leadership appointed former state party chief M M Hassan to investigate the incident.
- Earlier political role
- Haridas represented Alathur in the Lok Sabha from 2019 to 2024 and later won the 2026 Chirayinkeezhu Assembly election.