Kerala local body election results: Left-front fares well, BJP maintains status quo

The election results are a shot in the arm for Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan ahead of the as it could be considered as people's mandate for his govt

The ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front in Kerala got an upper hand in Kerala local body elections by securing a majority in around 670 of the 1,199 local bodies that went to the polls.

The BJP's hopes of securing power in Thiruvananthapuram corporation were dashed with the party unable to make remarkable inroads. Congress-led United Democratic Front suffered a major setback across Kerala.

The election results are a shot in the arm for Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, as it is considered as people's mandate for his government, at a time when the Assembly polls are just five months away, with the government facing a series of allegations.

While the BJP accused the UDF and LDF of striking an understanding to ensure the defeat of NDA candidates, Congress said the local body elections often favour the Left Front in Kerala due to local factors, and it cannot be seen as a mandate to the Left Front government.

Of the six corporations in Kerala, LDF got a majority in five. Congress won the Kannur corporation. In 2015, LDF had majority only in two and UDF in one and two were hung.

Thiruvananthapuram corporation, where the BJP secured 34 seats in 2015, up from just six in 2010, was expecting a further surge, gave the BJP just 34 seats this time as well.

The LDF which lacked a clear majority by winning only 42 seats in the 100-seat corporation in 2015 has won 51 seats this time. UDF has been reduced to just ten seats, down from 21 last time.

Thrissur corporation where the BJP had hopes also did not favour the party much as it could win only six seats while LDF secured a majority with 24 seats, while the UDF secured 23 seats. Even BJP state leader B Gopalakrishnan got defeated.

Out of the 86 municipalities, UDF got a majority in around 45, while it was only 40 in 2015. The LDF that won in 45 municipalities last time could only secure a majority in 35 now. The BJP retained Palakkad municipality and won the Pandalam municipality in Pathanamthitta that hosts the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.

With Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani faction-led Kerala Congress (M) parting ways with UDF and recently joining CPM, LDF could win the Pala municipality in Kottayam district, a stronghold of Jose K Mani faction, that was with UDF over the last several decades.

Among the 14 district panchayats, LDF got a majority in 10 and UDF 4, while it was seven each last time. Out of 152 block panchayats, LDF won 108 against 98 in 2015 while the UDF won only 44 against 62. With regard to Grama panchayats, out of the 941, LDF secured majority in 514 against 551 in 2015 and UDF won 377 against 362. NDA won in 22 grama panchayats compared to 14 in 2015.

KERALA LOCAL BODY POLLS

Corporations
LDF: 5
UDF: 1
NDA: 0

Municipalities
UDF: 45
LDF: 35
NDA: 2
Others: 4

District panchayats (14)
LDF: 10
UDF: 4

Block panchayats (152)
LDF: 108
UDF: 44

Grama panchayats (941)
LDF: 514
UDF: 377
NDA: 22
Others: 28