UDF wins four, LDF two wards in local body byelections
The results of the elections in seven local body wards, declared by the State Election Commission on Friday, held a few surprises.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) won four wards and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) two, while an Independent won one ward.
The UDF candidate’s victory in the Pullazhi ward of the Thrissur Corporation put the LDF on a sticky wicket. The LDF is ruling the civic body with Congress rebel M.K. Varghese as Mayor. But with the victory of UDF candidate K. Ramanadhan on Friday, both fronts now have 24 seats each, weakening the LDF’s hold on the 55-seat corporation. Mr. Varghese said he planned to continue as LDF Mayor.
In the Thillankeri division of the Kannur district panchayat, the UDF suffered a setback when the result was out on Friday. The UDF lost its sitting seat to Benoy Kurian of the LDF, who beat Linta James of the UDF by a margin of 6,980 votes.
At Kalamassery
The UDF will continue to rule the Kalamassery municipality, but its majority has been reduced to one seat with the LDF-backed Independent Rafeeq Marakkar winning Ward 37 by defeating V.S. Sameel of the IUML. The UDF has 21 seats and the LDF 20 in the municipality.
UDF candidates A.M. Noufal and Anil Kumar won the elections held to the Parambimukku and Chola wards in the Panmana grama panchayat, Kollam. Rohith M. Pillai of the LDF won in the PHC ward of the Chettikulangara grama panchayat in Alappuzha. Vasanthi Vijayan of the UDF won in the Thathoorpoyil ward of the Mavoor grama panchayat, Kozhikode.
The elections to the seven wards were held on Thursday following a postponement due to the deaths of candidates. The votes were counted on Friday.
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