The CPM-Left has won the local body elections in Kerala in a big way. They have won more than 540 out of 941 gram panchayats. Last time they had won 561. The Leftists have also won 5 out of 6 corporations, 11 out of 14 district panchayats ( Compared to 7) in 2015 and 112 out of 152 block panchayats (98 in 2015).
As per the EC website, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is holding 22 municipalities as against LDF’s 19 and the NDA’s two. But these figures may change further in favor of the LDF, as many independent candidates backed by the LDF have been put under the category of ‘others’ by the State Election Commission.
Trichur, Ernakulam, Kottayam, they have cut onto the Congress vote bank
These LDF-backed independent candidates will vote for the front and could flip at least five municipalities and render another five hung, with no one having absolute majority.
In Trichur, Ernakulam, Kottayam, they have cut onto the Congress vote bank, However, the Congress-led UDF is ahead in the municipalities.
The ruling front has also wrested power in five out of six city corporations
The LDF is clearly winning in 540 gram panchayats (compared to 561 in 2015), 108 block panchayats (98 in 2015), 11 zilla panchayats (7 in 2015) and 39 municipalities (48 in 2015). The ruling front has also wrested power in five out of six city corporations (three with absolute majority and two as the single largest bloc).
This indicates that the CPM’s popularity has increased in-spite of the smear campaign of corruption against the Kerala CM. As per the preliminary calculation of votes consisting of the district panchayat, municipalities and city corporations, the LDF has secured 41.72 % votes as against the 36.98% of the UDF and 14.60% of the NDA. In 2015, the LDF had 37.40, UDF 36.96 and NDA 13.8%.
The LDF got 43.40%, the UDF 38.8% and NDA had 14.6% of the votes.
In the subsequent assembly election, the LDF got 43.40%, the UDF 38.8% and NDA had 14.6% of the votes. Last year in the Lok Sabha polls, the vote share of the UDF jumped to 47.25%, whereas the LDF’s plummeted into 35.2% and the NDA/BJP’s share also dipped to 12.93%.
UDF had won 19 out of the 20 seats in Kerala
The issue of allegations of corruption against the left-wing government by the Congress, who had hoped for a good result in the wake of their landslide victory in the Lok Sabha polls last year was ultimately disappointed. UDF had won 19 out of the 20 seats in Kerala. The big question for the congress is how much they could oppose in the 2021 assembly elections.
After the local body elections, there is a growing discontent in the Congress party for the change in the state leadership. The BJP has pushed hard for Trichur & Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. However they have fared very badly compared with the performance in 2015. They have doubled the number of gram panchayats and won a municipality.
Voting was held in 15972 wards of 941 gram panchayats, 2060 wards of 152 block panchayats, 331 divisions of 14 gram panchayats, 308 wards of 8 municipalities on December 7, 10 and 14 in three phases.
The CPI(M) has already started accusing the Congress of having a tactical understanding with the BJP
In places where there is a tie between the LDF and UDF, The CPI(M) has already started accusing the Congress of having a tactical understanding with the BJP to share the local bodies where both the fronts have not got absolute majority at the grass root level. Finance minister, Thomas Issac, has dared the opposition leader to make a public statement that their party would not make any understanding with the BJP or NDA in this regard.
UDF poor show
The UDF fought in a very favorable political atmosphere has only got themselves to blame for this drubbing where a majority of the mainstream independent media took its side. The primary reason for their heavy loss could be traced back to the exit of Kerala Congress (M) led by Jose K. Mani, the son of former finance minister and a founding father of the current UDF. Roping in Mani and his faction of the KC (M) proved to be the wisest move by the CPI (M) leadership.
