Kerala local body bypolls: UDF wins 10 seats, LDF bags 9; BJP secures 3

Thiruvananthapuram: The LDF received an upper hand in the by-elections held to 23 local body wards in the state by acquiring five more seats. 

The LDF, which had four seats, won 9 seats. Meanwhile, the UDF won 10 seats, the BJP bagged 3 seats, and a single seat went to an independent candidate. The UDF has come down from 14 seats to 10. The BJP also lost one seat from its earlier count of 4. 

The UDF lost power in Nedumbassery Panchayat with the defeat in the 14th ward to the LDF’s N.S. Archana. The by-poll was necessitated by the resignation of Panchayat Vice President Sandhya Narayana Pillai. The UDF retained Mulakkada and Nadayar wards at Munnar Grama Panchayats in Idukki. 

In Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, the LDF won back the Vellar ward from the BJP. In Edavankad Grama Panchayat in Ernakulam, the Nethaji ward was regained by the Congress from the LDF, which won the seventh ward of Mullassery Panchayat in Thrissur.

The UDF retained the Kachinikkad East Ward at Makkaraparamba Grama Panchayat in Malappuram and Ittappuram Ward at Madayi Grama Panchayat in Kannur. While the UDF won in Palakkode central ward at Ramanthali Grama Panchayat, the LDF regained Mammakkunnu at Muzhuppilangadu Grama Panchayat. 

In Palakkad, Independent candidate Martin Antony won the Pidari Medu ward in Eruthenpathy Grama Panchayat, and the CPM retained the Muthukad ward in Thathamangalam Municipal Council and Pookkottukavu North in Pookkottukavu Grama Panchayat, while Muslim League retained Nariparambu ward. The LDF regained one ward from the BJP in Kollam and one from the UDF at Nedumbassery in Ernakulam.