LDF improves show to take Neyyattinkara

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) left Neyyattinkara municipality behind in the local elections, winning 25 out of 46 seats and one more than the required 24 seats.

The LDF improved its performance significantly from the 18 seats it won in 2020, winning just one more than the 17 seats of the United Democratic Front (UDF) (in the then 44-member municipality).

It was a dismal show for the UDF this time; The number dropped to 12, the same as in 2015. UDF last came to power in the municipality in 2010.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured seven seats, two fewer than in 2020. It failed to make the same strides it made in 2020, when the number of NDAs increased from five to nine in 2015.

Independents won in two districts: Thozhukkal and Amaravila.

LDF and NDA divided two new wards of Therannoor and Chemmanthattu respectively.

LDF also failed to lose sitting seats of Aaralummoodu, Pallivilakam and Chundavila to UDF.

However, it managed to capture Vadakode, Chaikottukonam, Pullamala and Brahmamcode from UDF.

LDF also won Aalampotta, Plavila, Maruthathoor, Rameswaram and Athiyannoor from the BJP.

UDF lost Mullaravila, Punnakkadu and Perumpazhathoor to NDA.

In Thozhukkal, an Independent defeated a Congress candidate.

Former mayor WR Heeba of Thavaravila, who went to the polls again after five years, defeated BJP’s Ashalatha S. by 106 votes.

LDF heavyweight and former deputy mayor KK Shibu contested from Kavalakulam despite initial doubts about his candidacy due to the CPI(M)’s policy of not fielding more than two consecutive candidates and did not let the front disappoint as he cruised to a comfortable win.

However, another prominent figure, P. Rajan, lost to Congress’s SJ Prabin. RV Vijayabose defeated the UDF candidate in Olathanni ward.

Congress will need to examine whether the sexual harassment controversy surrounding Jose Franklin, secretary general of the District Congressional Committee, has an impact on his fate.

However, Shibu Raj Krishna, who was the leader of the BJP in the 2020 council, fell to LDF’s Aji R. in Chaikottukonam.

Former general secretary of NGO Sangh SK Jayakumar failed to get past LDF candidate Sureshkumar B. in Panangattukari.

Mr. Krishna’s sister M. Kala also lost in Narayanapuram ward.

NDA retained Koottapana ward, which was won by Supriya Mahesh, wife of N. Mahesan Nair, who won the seat in 2020, against Congress’s Anitha K.

Sangeetha Prasad, sister of Manchathala Suresh, who won Aalummoodu in 2020, won the seat by defeating Aarabhi A. Padman, daughter of former council chief KR Padmakumar.

D. Soumya, who won the LDF ticket in Kavalakulam in 2020 but fell out with the party, came third in Athazhamangalam, where she contested as an independent.

However, Biju TS, who contested as an Independent in Amaravila after disagreements with the CPI(M), won without any problems.