Kozhikode: The United Democratic Front (UDF) retained the Kuttichira division of the Kozhikode City Corporation in the local body byelection held on Monday, but the sharp fall in its victory margin has emerged as a setback for the Front.

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) candidate Farseena Arakkal won the seat with 2,711 votes, defeating LDF candidate TT Jamshina of the Indian National League (INL), who secured 2,275 votes. Farseena's victory margin was 436 votes.

The by-election was necessitated after former Kuttichira councillor Fathima Thahiliya contested the recent Assembly election and won the Perambra constituency.

The UDF had secured the Kuttichira division with a margin of 2,273 votes in the previous local body election. The sharp reduction in the margin, within months of that victory, is likely to prompt the Front to examine the reasons for the decline in its support in the division.

The LDF, meanwhile, substantially increased its vote tally, from 1,467 votes in the previous election to 2,275 this time. The UDF's vote count fell from 3,740 to 2,711.

BJP candidate K. Jeeja, contesting for the NDA, polled 204 votes, while independent candidates Jamsheena and Farsana secured 46 and 45 votes, respectively. In the previous election, the NDA had polled 274 votes and an independent candidate had secured 122 votes.

Of the 9,712 registered voters in Kuttichira, 5,281 exercised their franchise in Monday's by-election, recording a turnout of 54.38%. In the previous election, 5,603 voters had cast their votes.