THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Six months ahead of the assembly polls in Kerala, the ruling CPI-M led LDF today took a severe beating in the local body elections losing power to Congress-led UDF in Kochi and Thrissur corporations and winning a majority of municipalities.
The LDF, however, managed to retain power with a wafer-thin margin in in Thiruvananthapuram corporation and held sway over Kollam corporation with a comfortable majority.
In an election that confirmed the trend of last year's Lok Sabha polls when the UDF lifted 16 of the 20 seats from the state, the opposition coalition is maintaining clear edge in village, block and district panchayts from where results continued to pour in.
Even while remaining a poor third, the BJP picked up a handful of seats from all over the state including the corporations of Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Thrissur.
The UDF swept the municipalities in Malappuram, Kottayam and Idukki district and also put up an impressive performance in Ernakulam, Wayanad and Kasargode.
The LDF maintained its sway in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kannur districts. The counting in Kozhikode corporation and other local bodies in the district has been postponed to October 31.
The LDF suffered a crushing blow in the prestigious Kochi corporation conceding power to UDF after a gap of 28 years.
In Thiruvananthapuram corporation, the LDF managed a bare absolute majority bagging 51 of the 100 seats.
The BJP, which drew a blank in the state capital last time, grabbed six seats while the UDF significantly imporved its tally to 41 while two seats went to independents.
The UDF trounced the ruling front in Christian and Muslim dominated areas, seen widely as a rejection of the LDF's vehement campaign over the issue of inteference of religion in politics.
The JD-S faction led by M P Veerendrakumar, which left the LDF and re-named it as Socialist Janata Democratic (SJD) and joined the UDF, is also seen to have contributed to the LDF's defeat in some areas.
The merger of Kerala Congress factions led by K M Mani and P J Joseph also boosted the UDF propsects, especially in the Christian heartland in Central Travancore.
The UDF leaders hailed the victory as a reflection of people's resentment at the four years of LDF rule.
The LDF leaders said there had been a consolidation of communal forces in favour of UDF. However, they said the front had been able to regain some of the ground lost during the last Lok Sabha polls.
Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said UDF owed its victory to the communal campaign it unleashed in the elections. "Their victory is only temporary," he said.
In the 74-member corportion, the UDF grabbed 46 seats, the LDF 23, BJP 2 and others three.
In nearby Thrissur corporation, the UDF routed the LDF lifting 45 of the 55 seats.
