THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF on Tuesday clinched a crucial victory in the Vizhinjam ward of the Thiruvananthapuram corporation, reclaiming a seat held by the LDF for the past two terms.
UDF candidate K H Sudheer Khan won by a narrow margin, securing 2,902 votes against CPM’s N Naushad, who polled 2,819 votes. BJP candidate Sarvashakthipuram Binu finished third with 2,437 votes. The election had been rescheduled following the death of a candidate.
Of the nine candidates in the fray, independent candidate N A Rasheed, a rebel from the LDF camp, polled 118 votes, while another UDF rebel and former Youth Congress leader, Hisan Hussain, secured 494 votes. The win marks the UDF’s return to Vizhinjam after a decade, with the LDF having wrested the ward from the front in 2015. The ward recorded a voter turnout of 66.97%, with 8,912 of the 13,307 voters exercising their franchise in Monday’s polling.
The delayed election had drawn statewide attention, as the outcome was seen as politically significant for the composition of the corporation council.
In the recently concluded corporation polls, the BJP had emerged as the single largest party with 50 seats, followed by the LDF with 29, the UDF with 19 and two independents. With the Vizhinjam win, the UDF’s tally has risen to 20 in the 101-member council. The BJP, which is aiming for a simple majority of 51 seats, had mounted a major campaign in the ward.
The LDF and the UDF were also pinning hopes on the constituency, making it a triangular contest. With the BJP-led combine still falling short of a majority, the Vizhinjam verdict assumes added political significance, compelling the front to continue governing with the support of independent councillors.
Rebel candidate fails to dent UDF prospects
Of the nine candidates in the fray, independent candidate N A Rasheed, a rebel from the LDF camp, polled 118 votes, while another UDF rebel and former Youth Congress leader, Hisan Hussain, secured 494 votes.