UDF breaches LDF citadels in Kozhikode, NDA makes gains in urban areas

The United Democratic Front (UDF) breached galore of the citadels of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) made awesome gains successful the municipality areas, erstwhile results of the section assemblage polls successful Kozhikode territory were declared connected Saturday.

Though the LDF conscionable managed to clasp powerfulness successful the 76-member Kozhikode Corporation assembly and won 8 of the 12 artifact panchayats, it narrowly mislaid the territory panchayat and surrendered its supremacy successful grama panchayats to the UDF. In the municipalities, the 2020 script was repeated erstwhile the LDF was voted to powerfulness successful Mukkom, Koyilandy, and Vadakara and the UDF emerged victorious successful Ramanattukara, Feroke, Payyoli and Koduvally.

In the 28-member territory panchayat, the LDF won 13 divisions and the UDF 14. The Azhiyur part has gone to the Revolutionary Marxist Party, which had formed an confederation with the UDF for the elections. In the artifact panchayats, the UDF won 2 divisions and determination is simply a necktie successful 2 others. The UDF besides surged up successful 39 grama panchayats portion the LDF could triumph lone 27. There is simply a necktie successful 4 different panchayats.

Five years ago, the LDF had managed to triumph some the Kozhikode Corporation (51 seats successful the 75-member council) and the territory panchayat (18 seats successful the 27-member council) with a two-third majority. The Left parties had besides swept 10 of the 12 artifact panchayats and 43 of the 70 grama panchayats.

However, the LDF could not proceed its imagination tally this clip successful the district. In the Kozhikode Corporation, wherever the Left parties had been successful powerfulness for astir 5 decades, it conscionable managed to scrape done with 34 seats. The UDF improved its show by bagging 26 seats and the NDA astir doubled its tally to 13 seats. Others person won 3 seats. Notable among those who mislaid were C.P. Musafar Ahmed, the LDF’s mayoral campaigner and incumbent Deputy Mayor, and P.M. Niyas, the UDF’s Mayoral candidate, LDF councillors M.C. Anil Kumar and C. Rekha, and erstwhile councillor T. Sujan.

An anti-incumbency feeling against the State authorities and perceived communal undercurrents are reported to beryllium among the reasons for the LDF’s atrocious amusement successful immoderate of its accepted strongholds successful the district.

The UDF and the BJP are besides learnt to person benefited from their campaigning focussed connected the Sabarimala golden theft case. However, the LDF raking up the UDF’s “tactical tie-up” with the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind-backed Welfare Party of India (WPI) and the intersexual misconduct charges against Rahul Mamkootathil bash not look to person made overmuch of an impact. Meanwhile, the WPI won 4 seats connected its ain successful the Mukkom municipality.