The Hindu : Front Page : Big win for LDF in Kerala civic polls

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Wednesday, Sep 28, 2005

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Big win for LDF in Kerala civic polls

Special Correspondent

LDF's tactical adjustments pay dividends; BJP gains from tie-up with UDF

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In what may well be a pointer to the electoral mood of Kerala, the Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has registered a landslide victory in the local body elections. LDF candidates won all the five city corporations, at least 33 out of the 52 municipalities, 13 of the 14 district panchayats and a majority of the 152 block panchayats and 999 grama panchayats.

Elections to the State Assembly are due in May 2006. The Congress-led United Democratic Front is in power in the State.

The LDF, aided by tactical adjustments with the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran), gave the UDF a comprehensive drubbing. The UDF could acquit itself somewhat tolerably only in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Malappuram districts. The surprise gainer is the BJP, which emerged as the largest single party in Palakkad municipality, came second in 18 wards in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and opened its account in several municipalities.

The UDF-BJP tie-up apparently proved more beneficial to the BJP than the UDF. On the other hand, that between the LDF and the DIC(K) proved useful for both, helping the LDF in several local bodies and the DIC(K) to turn the election into a show of strength. In all the corporations and most of the municipalities that it has won, the LDF can rule on its own.

The Opposition alliance took five municipalities from the ruling Front while conceding just one. It snatched the Thrissur Corporation from the UDF. The LDF put up an impressive show in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki and Wayanad while retaining its hold in Palakkad, Kozhikode and Kannur. Palakkad Municipality will continue to be held by the UDF-BJP: the UDF and the LDF have won 16 seats each, ceding the lead to BJP, which has 17 seats.

The results from the grama panchayats and block panchayats were only trickling in, but the LDF is poised to secure control of 77 block panchayats against 42 of the UDF and one of the BJP. Among the grama panchayats, 409 appeared to go the LDF's way against 168 in favour of the UDF and seven of the BJP.

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