The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has gained the upper hand in the bypolls held in 42 local body wards on Tuesday by winning 23 seats against the United Democratic Front's (UDF) 12. An LDF-backed Independent has won one seat while six wards have gone to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Among the LDF constituents, CPI(M) has won 16 seats and the CPI seven. For the UDF, the Congress has won 11 and the Indian Union Muslim League one, the State Election Commission said after the counting of votes on Wednesday.
The bypolls had reported a turnout of 78.24%.
The LDF wrested six sitting seats of the UDF and two of the BJP. The Congress grabbed three sitting seats of the LDF and the BJP two seats of the CPI(M). An LDF-backed Independent won the Eetichuvadu ward in the Ranni Angadi grama panchayat, a seat earlier held by the Congress.
The BJP retained the Ernakulam South ward of the Kochi Corporation with Padmaja S. Menon scripting victory by a 75-vote margin. The IUML retained the Kakkad ward in the Kannur Corporation with P. Kowlath winning by a margin of 555 votes.
In the seven municipality wards, the BJP wrested the Pisharikovil and Elamanathope wards in Tripunithura from the CPI(M). The CPI(M) retained Muthiyalam (Payyannur municipality) in Kannur district, Varikkuzhithazham (Koduvally) in Kozhikode district, Onnamkallu (Wadakkanchery) in Thrissur district, and Kottakunnu (Cherpulassery) in Palakkad district. The BJP retained its hold on Ambalam (Ettumanur).
The BJP win in the Elamanathoppil and Pisharikovil seats of the Thripunithura municipality has put the ruling LDF in a precarious position as the BJP, the Congress and an Independent together would have a combined strength of 26 seats against the 23 of the LDF.
In the two block panchayat wards which saw the bypolls, the CPI(M) retained its hold on Anandapuram in Irinjalakkuda block panchayat and Manakkad in Bharanikkavu block panchayat.
