Kasaragod: After a closely fought election on December 11, the UDF wrested Udma grama panchayat from the CPM-led LDF, winning 12 of the 23 wards. The LDF secured 11, while the BJP lost both its seats.

However, on Saturday, December 27, the UDF lost control of the panchayat during the election for the president's post. Its nominee, Chandran Nalamvadikkal (52), cast an invalid vote, leaving both fronts tied at 11 each. The contest then went to a draw of lots, which went in favour of the LDF. CPM's P V Rajendran was declared president.

District Congress president P K Faisal said Chandran failed to sign on the reverse of the ballot, leading to the vote being invalidated. "The CPM's victory will last only six months. We will move a no-confidence motion after that," he said.

In Pullur-Periya panchayat, where the LDF and the UDF are tied with nine members each, the presidential election could not be held as the Congress failed to finalise its candidates for president and vice-president. UDF members stayed away, a quorum was not met, and the election was postponed to Monday.

The deadlock stems from a split within the Congress. Of its eight members, four backed Karthyani A, vice-president in the previous governing body, for president, while the other four supported Usha M Nair, a first-time panchayat member. "The Congress core committee in the panchayat favoured Usha Nair, violating a KPCC circular that gives priority to seniority. That is why we protested," said a Congress member from Karthyani's camp.

For vice-president, the core committee picked Adv M K Baburajan (54) of Kalliyot ward. He had played a key role in securing the conviction of CPM workers in the 2019 murder of Youth Congress workers Sarath Lal P K and Kripesh. The rival faction, however, wants Ratheesh R (33), a rising tribal leader who wrested Kaliyot ward from the LDF in 2020 and has now won from Eriya ward.

"Both Usha and Karthyani are from Periya mandalam. It would be unfair if the vice-president is also from Periya, leaving Pullur mandalam unrepresented," said another Congress member.

DCC president Faisal described the dispute as a "minor disagreement" and said it would be resolved on Sunday morning, with the state Congress committee sending Irikkur MLA Sajeev Joseph as its representative.

Another panchayat that saw a tie was Badiadka, where the UDF and the BJP won 10 wards each, while the LDF secured one. The draw of lots went in the BJP's favour for both posts, with B Shankara elected president and Ashwini K M vice-president. In 2020, too, Badiadka had seen a tie, though the draw then favoured the UDF.

BJP gets five panchayats
Out of Kasaragod district's 38 grama panchayats, the BJP has secured control of five, up from two in 2020. In the previous term, the BJP ruled Belloor and Madhur, its traditional bastions. In Karadka, it was the single largest party, but the LDF and UDF joined hands to dislodge it midway through the term. This time, the BJP won clear majorities in Karadka, Madhur and Belloor, secured Badiadka through a draw, and emerged as the single largest party in Kumbadaje -- earlier held by the UDF -- by winning seven of the 14 seats.

UDF pips LDF
After Saturday's presidential elections, the LDF controls 14 of the 38 panchayats. It has a clear majority or is the single largest party in 13, and gained Udma due to the UDF's invalid vote. Its most significant win came in Padna panchayat, long held by the IUML. Yet, it is a fall from the 21 panchayats it controlled in 2020.

The UDF now controls 18 panchayats, up from 15 in 2020. Its standout victory came in Puthige, traditionally a CPM stronghold. In 2000, only a grand coalition of the CPI, Congress, IUML and BJP had managed to keep the CPM out.

In 2020, the UDF had just two members in Puthige's 14-member board. This time, it won seven seats and secured the support of a BJP rebel to elect Congress's Fida Ujampadav as president. The LDF dropped to six members from eight, while the BJP was reduced to two from four. "This time during the delimitation, the boundaries were correctly marked, and that helped the UDF," said Asif Ali C M, an IUML member in the outgoing panchayat board.

Attention now turns to Pullur-Periya, where the public Congress revolt may give another win to the LDF, if not resolved by Monday. 

Sabu-Soya to steer District Panchayat
The LDF retained Karadka, Kanhangad, Nileshwar and Parappa block panchayats, and the UDF retained Kasaragod and Manjeshwar. Similarly, the UDF retained Kasaragod municipality, while the LDF kept Kanhangad and Nileshwar municipalities.

In the District Panchayat, CPM's District Secretariat member was elected as the president and CPI's Soya K K was elected as the Vice-President on Saturday.