The elections for 15,962 wards in 941-gram panchayats, 2080 wards in 152 block panchayats, 331 divisions in 14 district panchayats, 3078 wards in 86 municipalities, and 414 wards in six municipal corporations were held in three phases on December 8, 10, and 14.
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The ruling Left-led coalition in Kerala is leading in local body polls, seen as a litmus test for parties ahead of assembly elections in the state next year. The alliance, hammered by corruption allegations, has scored a win in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, improving on its 2015 tally.
Here’s The Top Developments Of The Civic Polls:
1. In the recent development, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) retained Thiruvananthapuram Corporation one of the most crucial. Out of 100 wards, LDF managed to secure 51 wards, NDA bagged 34, United Democratic Front (UDF) 10, and others managed to secure 5 wards.
2. In a significant boost to the Bhartiya Janata Party, Congress' mayor candidate N.Venugopal lost by just one vote to the BJP in the Kochi Corporation North Island ward.
3. Making inroads on the Congress’s heavyweights’ constituencies, LDF candidates won in the wards of Oommen Chandy (former CM), Ramesh Chennithala (opposition leader), Mullappally Ramachandran (KPCC president).
4. According to early trends, the ruling CPI(M) led Left Democratic Front was leading in 520 of the totals of 941 panchayats. The LDF was also leading in 10 out of the 14 district panchayats and 108 block panchayats of the total of 152, according to the State Election Commission figures. The Congress-led UDF was ahead in four district panchayats. Out of the six corporations in the state, the LDF and the UDF were leading in three each.
5. In 2015, the ruling Left front had nearly swept the civic polls by winning 549 village panchayats, 90 block panchayats, 44 municipalities and four corporations. At the district panchayat level, both UDF and LDF had won 7 seats each. BJP had come third in terms of wards in 2015 but displayed an impressive performance in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and Palakkad municipality.
6. The civic body election recorded a turnout of 76 per cent, which was slightly lower by 77.67 per cent recorded in 2015.
7. The polls were originally scheduled to take place in October as the tenure of elected representatives to the local bodies is set to end on November 12. However, an alarming rise in coronavirus infections in the state through August and September forced the officials to postpone the date.
8. According to the State Election Commission, 244 vote counting centers have been set up across the state, to count the votes for the three-tier panchayat elections. Postal votes along with those cast by Covid-19 patients and those in quarantine will be counted first, followed by the general votes on the EVMs.
9. Just five months ahead of crucial Assembly elections, the civic polls are a valuable barometer of the direction of the political winds in the state. Like in 2010 and 2015, the coalition winning a majority of the local bodies have gone on to register victories in the subsequent Assembly polls.
10. The state is due for assembly elections in 2021. The 140-seat assembly is currently dominated by LDF with 93 seats, UDF with 42, and the BJP stands alone in the assembly with a single seat.