The ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala has suffered major reverses in the local body polls as the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) conjured up a wave in its favour and dark horse BJP delivered stunning blows wherever it mattered.
The trend is best illustrated in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation where the BJP came in from nowhere to claim the scalps of veterans in the rival fronts to force a hung Council in the state capital.
When reports came in last, the LDF had fought hard to rustle up a tally of 43 (against 51 in the outgoing Council) in a house of 100 ; BJP had made big strides to raise its own from six to 35; while the UDF had to eat the humble pie with a measly 21 (49).
In the municipalities, the latest results stood at: LDF-44; UDF-41 and the BJP-1. The BJP had entered the fray after entering into an understanding with the SNDP, a community organisation of the Ezhavas.
In other results, the LDF and the UDF shared the 14 district panchayats equally. As for the 152 block panchayats, the LDF was ahead with 90 against 62 of the UDF.
The BJP is yet to open its accounts in both but had picked up a crucial number of seats at vital places.
In the 941 village panchayats, the LDF leads with an unassailable 520 against the UDF’s 380 and the BJP’s 15.
The results are considered a setback for the UDF government in the State and personally for Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who had staked everything in it declaring that they would amount to a referendum on his governance.
The state is going for the Assembly polls in less than six months.