Kerala - Kannur   

Status quo in Kannur municipalities

Staff Reporter

But UDF improves its tally in four municipal councils in the district

KANNUR: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) have maintained status quo in the elections to the five municipalities in the district. The poll outcome has given both the fronts and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a lot to cheer about in the municipalities.

Kannur municipality was retained by the UDF. It, in fact, improved its tally this time by winning 25 seats (Congress 13 and Indian Union Muslim League 12) in the 39-member council against 23 seats in the 2000 election. The LDF retained 14 seats, including two seats won by the Indian National League (INL), in the council. The Front had expected a major shift in the municipality. The CPI(M) got 10 seats and the Janata Dal (S) and the CPI one each. The only loser is the BJP which had an Independent in the outgoing council.

The Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran), which claimed strong support base in the municipality, failed to win any of the six seats it contested with LDF support.

UDF performance

The UDF feels satisfied with the fact that it has improved its tally in the municipalities except Koothuparamba.

The LDF retained all the four municipalities it had won in 2000. The BJP's winning of three seats in Thalassery municipality was a surprise. The BJP had not been represented in the municipality in the past.

In the 50-member Thalassery municipal council, the LDF won in 32 wards, including two wards bagged by the INL. Compared to the LDF tally of 38 seats in the outgoing council, including the seats won by the INL, the LDF fared poor this time. The UDF improved its performance by winning 15 seats, four seats more than last time. The BJP recorded its historical performance in Thalassery by winning Kunhamparamba, Mannayad and Temple Gate wards. The LDF had alleged during the campaign that there were adjustments between the UDF and the BJP in the municipality, especially in these wards.

Koothuparamba

Koothuparamba municipality once again proved that it was an LDF fortress. It won 24 of the 25 seats in the council, including one by an LDF-supported INL candidate. The BJP has a lone member. Though the LDF retained Taliparamba, the UDF has much to feel comfortable as its strength increased in the council. When the LDF won 24 seats in the 35-member council in the last election, its tally came down by one seat now though the number of municipal wards was increased to 41. The UDF this time secured six more seats by winning 16 wards. The BJP also increased its strength from one seat in the outgoing council to two. In Payyannur municipality also the UDF improved its tally, though the LDF kept it by pocketing 32 seats of the 41-member council. The UDF won nine seats, three more than it had bagged in 2000. In the 37-member outgoing council the LDF had 31 members followed by six members of the UDF.

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