The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has registered a thumping victory in elections to the Alappuzha municipality. The LDF wrested the civic body from the United Democratic Front (UDF) by winning 35 out of the 52 seats. The UDF has to settle for 11 seats. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) bagged three seats, while others won three seats.
Former municipal chairman Thomas Joseph of the Congress tasted defeat in Kottamkulangara ward. He finished third behind eventual winner Manu Upendran of the BJP and CPI(M) candidate G. Moni. The BJP candidate defeated the CPI(M) candidate by a margin of 105 votes in Kottamkulangara. Mr. Joseph could only secure 597 votes of the total 2,194 votes polled.
Illikkal Kunjumon of the Congress, who replaced Mr. Joseph as municipal chairman a year ago, won from the Vattayal ward. He defeated his nearest rival K. Hamsa of the CPI (M) by a margin of 610 votes.
While the UDF which had won 26 seats in the civic body in 2015 failed to repeat the performance, the LDF significantly improved its tally of 19 seats it had won in the previous elections. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, which was expecting to give a tough fight to both LDF and UDF, has failed to make any significant inroads. The NDA had won four seats in 2015.
The Social Democratic Party of India and People’s Democratic Party won one seat each. B. Mehboob, a former Congress leader, who contested the elections as an Independent, won from the Poonthoppu ward.
In the Punnamada ward, Sreelekha G. of the Congress was declared winner through a draw of lots after she and her rival Jayamol M.K. of the BJP were tied at 751 votes.
