E-Paper
BJP loses key local body by-election in Kerala Capital
BJP lost a crucial bypoll in Thiruvananthapuram, hindering its majority in the municipal corporation, while UDF gained strength with a key victory.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which secured power in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation for the first time during the local body elections last month, suffered a defeat in a key bypoll to the civic body on Tuesday, squandering the chance to achieve a simple majority.
In the by-election in Vizhinjam ward of the municipal corporation, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate KH Sudheer Khan defeated the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF)’s N Noushad by 83 votes.
While the UDF candidate got 2,902 votes, the LDF got 2,819 votes. BJP candidate Sarvashaktipuram Binu ended up third with 2,437 votes.
Polling for the Vizhinjam ward, which was postponed last month due to the death of an Independent candidate before the elections, was held on Monday.
In the elections to the 101-member civic body council in December, the BJP had secured 50 seats, followed by LDF with 29 and UDF with 19. With its loss in Tuesday’s bypoll, the BJP will now need the support of another councillor to enjoy a majority in the corporation.
Meanwhile, with its victory in Vizhinjam, the UDF has won 20 seats in the corporation, doubling its tally from the 2020 polls.
Bypolls in two other local body wards in the state saw the spoils being shared by the LDF and the UDF.
In the Onakkoor ward of Pampakuda panchayat in Ernakulam district, CPI(M) candidate CB Rajeev defeated Congress’s XXfirstnameXX Jose by 221 votes. UDF’s K Subaida defeated Sebina Teacher by 222 votes in Payimpadam ward of Moothedam panchayat.
