THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the local body elections in the state approaching, the results of the byelection held in 28 wards came as a relief to both the LDF and UDF, giving an edge to the ruling front. While the LDF could maintain the status quo of last time winning 17 seats in which two were elected unopposed, the UDF could increase its tally from nine to 12 seats.
Meanwhile, a candidate of the SDPI, a political offshoot of PFI, emerged as a surprise winner in Thiruvananthapuram seizing the sitting seat from the Congress. However, the election results came as a huge setback for the BJP which has been claiming to create magic in the next LSG election. The byelection was held to a ward in Thiruvananthapuram corporation, three municipality wards and 24 panchayat wards.
Of these, CPM won 12 seats. Two CPM candidates were elected unopposed in Kolikkunnu ward in Madikai panchayat in Kasaragod and Kayyoor, Chimeni panchayat in Kasaragod raising the party’s tally to 14. CPI won two seats and Kerala Congress (M) one.
Earlier, in the 17 seats to which elections were held, CPM had held 14 and CPI had three seats. In the UDF which has improved the total seats to 12, Congress has won 10 while the Muslim League and Kerala Congress won one seat each. Earlier the UDF had nine seats with Congress winning six, League- 1, Kerala Congress (Joseph)- 2. The SDPI candidate won Pulippara ward in Pangode panchayat by defeating Congress candidate.
The LDF could capture only two seats from the UDF. The LDF’s win in Sreevaraham ward in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation came as a big boost to the ruling front. The Congress candidate was left behind in the third position. The LDF’s winning margin against the BJP candidate was just 12 votes.
The UDF seized six new seats this time. However, its loss in the by-election in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and SDPI candidate winning in a ward in Pangode panchayat have come as a setback to the Congress. The Congress had opened a war room for the local body election preparations.
Meanwhile, both LDF and UDF leaderships claimed upperhand in the byelection results. The CPM state secretariat in a statement said that the LDF has won in local body bypolls overcoming communal alliance and media campaign. “In seven wards the UDF candidates finished third. The SDPI candidate won with the support of Congress. In Sreevaraham ward in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation the Congress vote went down to 277 from 408 which it got last time,” it said.
State Congress state president K Sudhakaran has termed the results as one which builds confidence for the UDF. “The results show that a strong anti-incumbency exists in the state. In one ward in Pathanamthitta municipality and Idukki’s Vathikudi panchayat the UDF candidate lost by a narrow margin of votes,” he said.