Congress flag.
Credit: PTI Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: While the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) got an upper hand in the bypolls held to 33 local body wards in Kerala, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also has reasons to cheer as it won one ward and came second in another.
Of the elections held in 33 wards, the Congress, which earlier had 11 sitting seats, won 17 this time, wresting five from the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
The LDF, which was having 12 sitting seats, won only 10 seats, which included three they wrested from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
NDA, which was having six sitting seats, could win only four wards. AAP and Social Democratic Party of India won one each.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran said that the election results were a reflection of the poor governance of the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala.
The LDF, which is the ruling party in Kerala, suffered the setback in the local body bypolls at a time when the government's major mass outreach programme 'Nava Kerala Sadas' is progressing. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet colleagues are touring the state and conducting mass outreach programmes covering all 140 Assembly constituencies.
Boost for AAP
AAP's Beena Kurian won the Nediyakad ward in Karimkunnam grama panchayat in Idukki district, which was Congress' sitting seat. AAP candidate also came second at Areekkara in Kottayam district.
"Now Kejriwal model of governance makes inroads in Kerala," a social media post of AAP Kerala said.
AAP had made the maiden presence in local bodies in Kerala in 2016 after a LDF member resigned owing to internal issues. He contested on AAP ticket and won the bypoll.
AAP state president Vinod Wilson Mathew told DH that the current victory was a huge facelift for the party, especially with the Lok Sabha polls approaching. "In the last six months AAP had come third in local body bypolls at nine wards," he said.
Though AAP and Kochi-based Twenty20 party backed by Kitex group earlier formed an alliance -- People's Welfare Alliance, it recently decided to part ways with each other.