PATHANAMTHITTA: In a major jolt to the LDF, the BJP-led NDA wrested control of the Pandalam municipality with a decisive margin as results of the civic body polls were announced on Wednesday.
The BJP had played the Sabarimala issue as a key poll factor to fight the elections and won 18 of the 33 wards in the municipality.
BJP candidate Pushpalatha who had contested from Mangaram East ward where the Pandalam Valiyakoickal Sree Dharma Sastha temple is located and from where the annual Thiruvabharanam procession leaves for Sabarimala secured a clear majority in the elections.
Meanwhile, veteran CPM leader and municipal chairman-candidate K P Chandrasekhara Kurup who had contested from 20th ward and DCC secretary and UDF chairman-candidate DN Trideep who contested from the 33rd ward suffered major setbacks. Besides Pandalam, the verdict was fractured at the remaining three municipalities as none of the three fronts got a majority.