The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala is leading in the local body polls ahead of the assembly elections in the state next year.
The CPM-led LDF is leading in more than the 500 of the 941 gram panchayats while the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is leading in 371. The UDF is leading in 45 of 86 municipalities and LDF in 35 municipalities.
The elections were conducted in 941 gram panchayats, 152 block panchayats, 14 district panchayats, 86 municipalities, and 414 wards in six municipal corporations. The elections were held in three phases on December 8, 10, and 14. The overall voter turnout was 76 per cent, marginally lower than 77.76 per cent in 2015.
In the 2015 elections, the LDF won 551 of the 941gram panchayats, 42 of 86 municipalities, 7 of 14 district panchayats, 88 of 152 block panchayats and 4 out of the 6 corporations.
In the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, which saw a triangular fight, the LDF has a majority in 53 of 100 wards, the BJP led NDA has 34 and the UDF remains at the third spot.
For BJP, the party’s counsellor has won in Kannur Corporation for the first time but BJP mayor candidate and spokesperson B Gopalakrishnan is trailing in Thrissur Corporation.
The poll campaign saw the LDF and UDF targeting each other over state’s coronavirus crisis and Kerala gold smuggling case in which Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office has been drawn into corruption allegations. The LDF, however, rubbished claims over it and centred its captain around the development schemes.
The LDF has accused the BJP of using the central agencies to target the state government with probes into the gold smuggling case and state government’s flagship housing programme.