Congress wins Thiruvananthapuram corporation special-poll; BJP to remain one short of clear majority

Thiruvananthapuram: In a setback to the BJP in the Thiruvananthapuram corporation, Congress candidate won the one seat to which the special-poll was held. 

With this the BJP will continue to be one short of a clear majority in the 101 member council. Hence the support of either one of the two independents have become more crucial for the party. 

K H Sudheerkhan of the Congress wrested the Vizhinjam seat from the left front. The election to the seat, which was earlier postponed following the death of a candidate, was held on Monday and results declared today. 

In the 101 member council the BJP-NDA will now have 50 members, CPM-led Left Democratic Front 29, Congress-led United Democratic Front 20 and two independents. 

One of the independent councilors, Pattoor Radhakrishnan, who is a former president and secretary of the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club, had supported BJP in the mayor election. 

The BJP has been making much hype over winning a civic corporation in the state for the first time and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to come down on January 23 to announce major development plans for the state capital. Union home minister and BJP top leader Amit Shah, who visited Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday had expressed hopes that after having a BJP mayor in Thiruvananthapuram, the state will soon have a BJP chief minister too. 

Already there are speculations that  after the assembly polls the UDF and LDF could explore options of wooing the two independents to sabotage the BJP rule in the council.