Meanwhile, the defeat in Alappuzha municipality came as a rude shock for the LDF
ALAPPUZHA: The LDF has won most of the grama, block and district panchayat divisions in Alappuzha, a testing ground for BJP-SNDP Yogam ties.
While retaining the district panchayat winning 16 of 23 seats, LDF claimed victory in 10 of 12 block panchayats and 48 grama panchayats out of 72.
UDF reigned supreme in cities winning four of the six municipalities. It wrested Alappuzha from LDF.
SNDP Yogam-BJP combine made no impact in Cherthala where they had launched an aggressive campaign, though it gained some support in Alappuzha, Chengannur, Mavelikara and Kayamkulam municipalities.
They opened the account in Alappuzha municipality with four seats and increased tally from two to seven in Kayamkulam and from one to six in Chengannur. BJP announced its arrival in newly formed Haripad municipality as well with two seats.
The combine also emerged the largest bloc in Thiruvanvandoor grama panchayat with six seats and won the block division. It also tasted victory in Neelamperoor, Thakazhy, Krishnapuram, Veliyanad and Pulinkunnu panchayats.
But it failed to win even a single seat in Yogam chief Vellappally Natesan’s fiefdoms of Cherthala and Mararikulam. BJP’s election coordinator K. Soman claimed victory for the experiment saying it was limited to a few areas.
“In the rest, Yogam extended tacit support to our candidates contributing to our amazing performance,” he said.
While the BJP had emerged victorious in 48 wards of 72 grama panchayats and five municipalities in 2010, it has doubled the number this time.
Meanwhile, the defeat in Alappuzha municipality came as a rude shock for the LDF. The UDF wrested it winning 26 seats against its 19, retained Cherthala and Chengannur and won Haripad.
“It was the result of the organisational failure, and we’ll discuss it,” admits R. Naser, LDF district convener.
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