For over 40 years, the Gandhinagar division in Kochi Corporation had been a stronghold of the LDF. This time, however, they faced one of the toughest challengers in Nirmala Teacher of the UDF. And she delivered what many thought was impossible.
Nirmala Teacher, who curiously shares her name with a character (played by Seema) from the popular Mohanlal-Sreenivasan film ‘Gandhinagar Second Street,’ managed to win the division against all odds.

According to Nirmala, this election was especially tough for the Congress, as the party lost 300 sure voters when the Madha Nagar booth was moved to the Elamkulam division after the recent delimitation exercise. A similar issue arose with another booth behind the Indira Gandhi Cooperative Hospital, she said.
"This time, the LDF supporters mocked us, certain that we had no chance of winning. And why wouldn't they? In the past, even with strong support from booths like Madha Nagar, we still couldn’t secure a win. This victory feels nothing short of a miracle," Nirmala teacher told Onmanorama.

She also acknowledged the strong support she received from her party. "There were countless people who stood by me, members of my party who worked tirelessly, day and night, over the past month. Their unwavering support made all the difference," she said.
Nirmala Teacher, who won the division in her debut contest, also believes there was a strong anti-incumbency sentiment in the division. “People felt previous councillors were ignoring their needs,” she said. “For years, parties have been fielding candidates from other wards in Gandhinagar. I’ve lived in Kammattipadam for over 60 years, and I am extremely close with the people here. Even though it was incorporated into the Gandhinagar division years ago, many issues remain unresolved,” she said.

The most pressing of those issues is waterlogging, a problem that persists to this day. Nirmala said she recently moved to Ravipuram as the situation in Kammattipadam had become unbearable. “Kammattipadam is located near the KSRTC bus stand and the railway line, making our homes extremely vulnerable to flooding. I’ve raised this issue with the MP and MLA, but it hasn't been addressed. Now, as the elected councillor, I believe I can make a real difference,” she said.
Her service, she adds, will go beyond party politics. “I’ve been chosen by the people of Gandhinagar, and I will work tirelessly for them — no matter the party I represent. I may have won as a UDF candidate, but I am here to serve everyone,” said the elected councillor, who is a retired government employee. She has also worked as an Anganawadi teacher and a bill collector at a private bank.

Nirmala won against LDF candidate Mayadevi T by just 20 votes, securing 1,518 votes in total. The late CPM leader K J Jacob, Sojan Antony, Poornima Narayanan, and Tessy Jacob were among the prominent CPM figures who previously represented this area.