The BJP candidate whose name sparked local curiosity, Sonia Gandhi, has lost the panchayat election in Munnar. Her unusual candidature had captured attention across the town during the polls.

Election result for Nallathanni ward

Sonia Gandhi contested from the Nallathanni ward, the 16th ward of Munnar panchayat. The UDF candidate, Manjula Ramesh, won the seat, while Sonia secured a total of 103 votes.

A name with a story

The 34-year-old candidate is the daughter of the late Congress leader Dure Raj, who named her after the former Congress president as a mark of respect. The irony of her name appearing on a BJP ballot had generated widespread discussion during the election.

From shop worker to BJP candidate

Sonia joined the BJP after marrying Subhash, the panchayat’s BJP general secretary. Before entering politics, she worked at a shop in Munnar town, making her journey from a local worker to political candidate notable.

The Nallathanni ward was a closely contested seat in the Kerala local body elections, with Sonia Gandhi competing against UDF’s Manjula Ramesh and LDF’s S. Valarmathi.