The Hindu : Front Page : LDF retains Thiruvambadi

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Friday, Dec 08, 2006
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LDF retains Thiruvambadi

Staff Reporter

CPI(M) nominee defeats IUML candidate by a slender margin of 246 votes

TRIUMPHANT: Left Democratic Front candidate George M. Thomas who won the Thiruvambadi Assembly byelection greeting his followers after the declaration of the result in Kozhikode on Thursday. Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

KOZHIKODE: Left Democratic Front candidate George M. Thomas Mekkatt Kunnel retained the Thiruvambadi Assembly constituency in a keenly contested bypoll, the result of which was declared on Thursday.

Mr. George defeated the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) candidate V. M. Ummer Master by a slender margin of 246. Out of the total 1,39,997 votes polled in the Assembly byelection held on Monday, Mr. Thomas obtained 64,112 votes while Mr. Ummer received 63,866.

In the previous election held in May, CPI(M) candidate Mathai Chacko had defeated IUML candidate M. C. Mayin Haji by a margin of 5,479 votes. The bypoll was necessitated by the demise of Mathai Chacko in October.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Gireesh Thevally secured 4,758 votes.

The independents candidates in the fray, Ummer Master received 1,522, V.P. Ummer 422 and George Thomas Machakkuzhyil 917 votes. The two Ummers had jointly polled 1,942 votes literally spoiling the chances of the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate to wrest its traditional seat. Counting of votes started at the Government Polytechnic at West Hill here at 8 a.m. The trends right from the first round of counting revealed that the electoral battle was going to be an exciting photo finish.

Mr. Ummer was leading after the first round. But as counting progressed at the grama panchayat-level, Mr. Thomas overtook him. His leads began to swell as counting continued at some of the strongholds of the CPI (M)-ruled grama panchayats. But Mr. Ummer caught up with him when the counting of votes started in other grama panchayats, including Thamarassery where the IUML candidate is its vice-president.

Votes polled at the Omassery grama panchayat was the decisive factor resulting in Mr. Thomas emerging victorious in the cliff-hanger. At one point, Mr. Ummer was leading by a margin of just two votes.

Of the total nine grama panchayats, the LDF candidate secured a lead of 270 votes against the UDF candidate at Kodiyathur, 1,271 at Karassery, three at Kooderanji, 1,105 at Thiruvambadi, Kattippara, 733 and Omassery, 630.

Mr. Ummer secured 1,105 more votes than Mr. Thomas at Kodencherry, 733 at Puthuppadi and 1, 530 at Thamarassery grama panchayats. Large crowds supporting both the candidates had gathered in front of the counting centre from 7 a.m. Traffic had to be diverted on Kannur Road from 8 a.m. The results were unofficially known at 10.10 a.m.

Rally taken out

Jubilant supporters of the LDF took out processions in the city and at the major towns of the Thiruvambadi constituency. Youths took out rallies on bikes. Pillion riders were seen flying the flags of the CPI(M).

However, it was totally a different experience for the press corps who had arrived at the counting centre to cover the proceedings in the morning.

Correspondents and cameramen were not permitted inside the counting centres although they produced their photo identity cards issued by the Election Commission of India to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel at the entrance. The CRPF pushed the correspondents out when they tried to forcefully enter the counting centre. The personnel also allegedly roughed up a correspondent, Shajahan of Asianet Television.

To mark their protests the journalists squatted in front of the counting centre, shouted slogans against the CRPF and burnt the photo-affixed ID cards issued to them.

UDF meeting

The high power committee of the UDF will meet in Ernakulam on December 18 mainly to discuss the outcome of the Thiruvambadi byelection. This was announced here on Thursday by UDF convener P.P. Thankachan

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