LDF gains in local body bypolls, secures 16 seats; BJP wrests one

LDF candidate Bindu Sivan after winning from the Gandhinagar Division in Kochi Corporation during the local body bypolls. Photo: Manorama

Thiruvananthapuram: Continuing its winning streak, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has won half of the seats in the bypolls held to 32 local body wards in the state.

The LDF candidates won 16 seats as the results came out after the counting of votes on Wednesday.

The candidates of the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) won from 13 wards, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got one ward.

An independent candidate and an LDF rebel are among the 31 victorious candidates. One result is awaited. 

With the CPM candidate retaining the Gandhi Nagar division in the Kochi Corporation in a keenly contested fight, the LDF has strengthened its position in the Corporation Council.

The LDF also retained power in the Piravom Municipality in Ernakulam district with the victory of its candidates in one of the wards where by-elections were held.  

The LDF also secured Aroor, Nanmanda and Sreekrishnapuram district panchayat divisions in Alappuzha district.

An LDF rebel won the by-elections to a ward in the Erimayur Panchayat in Palakkad. 

The UDF has retained power in the Irinjalakuda Municipality in Thrissur and the Unnikulam Panchayat in Kozhikode district.

The UDF also emerged as winner in a ward in the Kanhangad Municipality.

The UDF retained the rule in the Irinjalakuda Municipality in Trichur district and in the Unnikulam Gram Panchayat in Kozhikode district. 

The BJP has won one seat, the Iddalippara North ward of Edamalakudy panchayat in Ernakulam district , by a single vote's margin. The BJP wrested the seat from the LDF.  

The LDF was way ahead of the UDF when the local body polls were held last December. Subsequently, it won the state polls too, thereby retaining power, in May this year.  

The by-elections were held to three District Panchayat divisions, four block panchayat divisions,  two municipal corporation wards, three municipality wards and 20 grama panchayat wards in the State. 

As many as 75.906 percent of votes were totally polled in 32 wards.

DETAILED RESULTS DISTRICT-WISE

IDUKKI  DISTRICT 

In Idukki district, the BJP and the UDF won one seat each. The UDF won by a margin of 240 votes in a ward in the Rajakkad Panchayat, while the BJP won by one vote in Edalippara North in Edamalakudy panchayat. The byelection results will not affect the current ruling dispensation in both the panchayats in Rajakkad and Edamalakudy.

KOTTAYAM  

The UDF won the 12th ward in the Manjoor Panchayat and the LDF won the 9th ward in the Kanakkary Panchayat. The UDF retained the 12th ward in the Manjoor panchayat. The LDF wrested the ward in the Kanakkary Panchayat.

ALAPPUZHA 

The LDF retained the Aroor District Panchayat ward in the district. Ananthu Rameshan of the CPM won by 6,000 votes. The victory margin of Ananthu was 9,490. The counting of votes was delayed for a while due to technical issues. 

PALAKKAD 

The LDF retained the 8th ward (Karkkidaka Chal) in Ongallur panchayat. LDF candidate K Ashokan won by a margin of 380 votes. Of the total votes polled, LDF candidate Ashokan got 693 votes, BJP candidate CK Sankuraj 313 votes and UDF candidate 72 votes. The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of ward member P Unnikrishnan. 

The ward number 1 in the Tharoor panchayat was retained by the LDF. An Independent candidate wrested the first ward of the Erimayoor Panchayat from the UDF. The Independent candidate backed by the CPM won against a CPI candidate. 

ERNAKULAM

The LDF retained the bypolls in the Gandhi Nagar division of the Ernakulam Municipality. LDF candidate Bindu Shivan trounced UDF candidate PD Martin by a margin of 687 votes. With this, the LDF has the support of 37 councillors in the Council, including the support of the four Independent councillors in the 74-member Council. The UDF has the support of 32 councillors. The BJP has the support of four councillors. One seat is vacant due to the death of one BJP councillor. 

In the Piravom Municipality, the LDF won the Edapallichira division. Its candidate Dr Ajesh Manohar defeated Arun Kallarackal of UDF by 26 votes.

KOLLAM

The UDF won the two wards where byelections were held. The RSP candidate won the Naduvilakkara ward in Thevalakkara Panchayat. Here the election was necessitated after a panchayat member belonging to the BJP was disqualified. The BJP came third in the elections. The UDF is ruling the panchayat. 

The Congress candidate won in the Sathyamangalam ward in the Chithara Panchayat. The UDF thus retained the seat. The byelection was necessitated after the panchayat member resigned after he got a government job. The LDF is in power in the panchayat. 

KASARAGOD 

The Congress won the byelections to the 30th ward in the Kanhangad Municipality. The Congress candidate won by 116 votes. 

MALAPPURAM 

The UDF retained the five gram panchayat wards where the byelections were held. The results would not affect the ruling front in any of the five panchayats.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM 

LDF candidate Clenus Rosario won the Vettukad division in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation by a majority of 1,490 votes. LDF candidate S Ravikumar won by 45 votes in a ward in the Vithura panchayat. In Pothencode ward, the LDF is leading.

THRISSUR 

UDF candidate Mini Jose Chakkola won by 151 votes in the byelections held to a ward in the Irinjalakuda Municipality. The LDF candidate got 336 votes, the UDF candidate 487 votes and BJP candidate 18 votes. As many as 841 votes were polled in the bypolls there.

KOZHIKODE

UDF candidate OM Sasindran won by a margin of 530 votes in the 15th ward of the Unnikulam panchayat. The UDF candidate got 1,018 votes, LDF candidate KV Pushparajan 488 votes and BJP candidate MC Karunakaran 14 votes.

KANNUR 

The LDF wrested the Kokkamulla ward in the Eruvassery panchayat under the Irikkur Assembly segment from the UDF.    

 

 

     

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