KOCHI: The BJP’s strategy of fielding the maximum number of candidates indeed spiked its vote share and expanded the party’s presence in the district. In the Corporation, however, fielding many majors including the district president did not help the party improve its position. Meanwhile, the party staged a surprise show in the Thripunithura municipality by bagging 13 seats to push the incumbent UDF to the third position.
The BJP won in 47 grama panchayat wards and emerged victorious in 24 municipal wards. In the Kochi Corporation, BJP state vice-president Shyamala Prabhu won, despite a stiff fight put up by Independent candidate Gayatri Bhat who finished second. BJP candidates came in the second position in the Amaravathi, Champakkara and Ernakulam South divisions. BJP district president P J Thomas finished third with 432 votes, just behind the LDF-backed independent candidate.