Kerala local body bypolls: CPM-led LDF makes gains with 9 seats, UDF bags 10

The by-elections were held on Thursday to elect members of 18 gram panchayat wards, four municipality wards and one municipal corporation ward

Kochi: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) made gains in the by-elections held to 23 local body wards across 10 districts in Kerala on Friday.

Results from the state election commission showed that the LDF was able to increase its tally from four to nine wards in the local bodies (Representative Photo)

The by-elections were held on Thursday to elect members of 18 gram panchayat wards, four municipality wards and one municipal corporation ward.

Results from the state election commission showed that the LDF was able to increase its tally from four to nine wards in the local bodies while the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) strength came down from 14 wards to 10. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had four elected members last time, could only win in three wards. The remaining was won by an Independent candidate.

Significantly, the LDF wrested the Vellar ward in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation from the BJP, with its candidate winning by 151 votes. It is a setback for the saffron party, which has been aiming to wrest control of the urban body in the state capital for the past decade.

The LDF’s victory in a ward in the Nedumbassery panchayat in Ernakulam district is also important as it will lead to the Congress losing power in the rural local body.

In the current governing council in the panchayat, both LDF and UDF had nine members each, but a resignation by a UDF member due to factional tussles within the Congress led to the bye-election. With the LDF winning the election, it will have 10 members in the council with which it can come to power in the panchayat.

The BJP will take solace in the fact that even though it lost one ward in the overall results, it was able to score a victory over the Congress in the Mattannur municipality. Its candidate A Madhusudhan beat Congress’ Jayachandran KV by 72 votes. This is the BJP’s first win in the urban body.