KASARGOD: Hectic negotiations are on to win back rebels or to strike tacit understanding between rival political fronts in 10 gram panchayats where no one has a clear majority.
In seven of the 10 gram panchayats, the BJP is the single largest party or shares the honour with another front, and the running theme of the parleys across these panchayats is to stop the BJP from taking control of these local bodies.
"We will do everything we can to keep the BJP out," said CPM district secretary M V Balakrishnan.
The 10 panchayats with no clear majority are Badiadka, Karaduka, Kumbadaje, Kumbla, Mogral Puthur, Meenja, Muliyar, Vorkady, and Paivalike.
Except in Mogral-Puthur and Meenja, the BJP has emerged as the top party in seven panchayats but in all likelihood, they would continue to be out of reach of the party. But these panchayats, the LDF has also grown to make decisive interventions.
The BJP has a clear majority in Madhur and Belloor gram panchayat, the same as in 2015. "It will be confined to the two panchayats this time too," said an LDF leader from a northern panchayat. The UDF and the LDF would be relying on independent candidates to keep out the BJP.
Badiadka gram panchayat
Of the 19 wards, the BJP and the UDF won eight wards each, and the LDF won three wards.
The BJP did not better its tally from 2015 despite the Congress leader and the then panchayat president K N Krishna Bhat joining the party ahead of the elections.
The UDF which had 10 seats in 2015 lost two seats and the LDF gained the two to sit in a decisive position. The LDF has two independent members who may tilt the scale in favour of the UDF.
Paivalike panchayat
In the 19-member panchayat, the LDF and the BJP won eight seats each, the same as in 2015. The UDF retained its three seats. In 2015, the LDF propped up its independent member as the presidential candidate and the UDF independent candidates back him.
Kumbadaje panchayat
The UDF and the BJP won six seats each in the 13-member panchayat. The CPI has one member. The party has decided to vote with the UDF to keep out the BJP, said a CPI source.
Karaduka panchayat
In the last year of the previous term, the LDF and the UDF joined hands to remove the BJP president. In the 15-member panchayat, the BJP then had seven members. This time, it won only six seats.
The UDF increased its tally to five from four and the LDF retained its four seats. "Last time the LDF independent was made the president. This time a UDF independent will stake a claim," said a CPM leader.
Meena panchayat
In the 15-member panchayat, the BJP has six members, two more than the last term. But the LDF has five members and the UDF won four seats. The UDF had seven members in the previous term. It lost three seats, two were picked by the BJP and one by the LDF.
According to sources in the LDF, an independent candidate backed by the CPI would be propped up for the presidential post and the UDF is likely to extend support. In return, an independent candidate backed by the Congress may become the vice-president.
Vorkady panchayat
In the 16-member panchayat, the LDF made considerable gains at the expense of the UDF.
The LDF has six members, the BJP has five, and the UDF has four members. Balakrishnan said the LDF would be backed by the independent in Vorkady.
Kumbla panchayat
Kumbla panchayat is considered a bastion of the IUML, but this time the UDF failed to win a simple majority because of infighting and SDPI's growth.
In the 23-member gram panchayat, the BJP won nine seats, two more than the previous term, and the UDF too won nine seats, down from 12 in 2015.
The LDF won three seats, and an SDPI candidate and a rebel IUML candidate made it to the panchayat board.
"We are reaching out to the rebel candidate," said an IUML leader. "We are fortunate that none of the other candidates will openly support the BJP," he said.
Manjeshwar panchayat
In Manjeshwar, too, the UDF suffered a setback and the LDF was the beneficiary. The BJP won six of the 21 wards, the same as in 2015.
The UDF, including its independent candidates, has a strength of eight members, down from 12 in 2015.
The LDF is claiming the support of five members, including independent members. The SDPI has two members.
Mogral Puthur
In the 15-member Mogral-Puthur panchayat, the UDF won only six seats, down from 10 in 2015. But two of its rebel candidates and an SDPI candidate won. The outgoing president of Mogral Puthur A A Jaleel of the IUML said the UDF was reaching out to the rebels.
The LDF won two seats, a first in the panchayat. The BJP retained its four seats.
Muliyar panchayat
Muliyar saw an encore of the 2015 election, with the LDF and the UDF winning seven seats each and the BJP winning one seat in the 15-member panchayat.
In 2015, a toss of a coin decided who would control the panchayat board and the luck favoured the IUML.
This time, too, the coin will be flipped, unless the lone BJP member decides to support any one of the fronts.