UDF captures three seats from LDF in Ernakulam, Left gets power in Vengoor

KOCHI: The UDF wrested three seats from the LDF in the bypolls held in a municipal ward and three panchayat wards in Ernakulam district.

However, the Congress-led front failed to win in ward number 11 of Vengoor panchayat where its candidate Leena Joy was defeated by LDF’s Peter P V by 19 votes. The win helped the LDF gain power in the panchayat, taking their tally to eight seats compared to UDF’s seven. The byelection was necessitated in Vengoor following the death of LDF’s P Saji. 

In the Piravom municipality bypoll, UDF’s Sini Joy defeated LDF’s Anju Manu by a margin of 205 votes. 
The byelection was held after the LDF’s sitting candidate resigned from the post. The UDF candidate’s victory meant that the LDF lost power in the municipality as both fronts are now tied at 13 seats each in the 27-member municipality. 

Another bypoll, which will be held soon following the death of George Narekkadan of the LDF, will now be decisive.The UDF also captured the North Marady seat, the sitting seat of the LDF, in Marady panchayat. The byelection was held after the member resigned from the post and joined government service.

UDF’s Ratheesh Changalimattam won by a margin of 91 votes against LDF’s independent candidate Binil Thankappan. In ward number 13 - Kozhippilly -- of Varappetty panchayat, UDF candidate Shaji Blessy won by a margin of 244 votes against LDF’s Rini Biju. While Shaji received 576 votes, Biju was able to win only 362 votes.

State-level result: LDF wins Seven seats, UDF six

T’Puram: LDF won seven seats, while UDF bagged six in the local body byelection held for 15 seats across nine districts in the state. The remaining two seats were won by independents. The BJP drew a blank.  Though LDF nosed ahead of its rival coalition in the total number of seats won, UDF managed to wrest three sitting wards of the Left front – North Marady, Kozhippilli South and Vazhikkadavu. LDF won two sitting seats of UDF – Pallur and Pazheri. The byelection was held for 11 panchayat wards in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur districts; 3 municipality wards in T’Puram, Wayanad, Ernakulam districts and one block panchayat ward in Malappuram.