The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has retained the Mattannur municipality, winning 20 seats in the 34-member council.
This is the fourth consecutive time the LDF is winning the Mattannur municipal polls. However, the day turned victorious for the United Democratic Front (UDF) as well, as it more than doubled its position with 14 seats.
The counting began at 8 a.m. at Mattannur Higher Secondary School and the final results were announced by 9.45 a.m. When the counting was completed in 10 wards, the LDF had a lead of six seats, which remained the same till the very end.
The loss of Ward 20, Kayani, a Communist Party of India (Marxist) stronghold to the UDF, rendered a blow to the LDF camp.
The new wards of Beram, Kokkayil, and Kalarode were pocketed by the UDF while the LDF retained its sitting wards except Uthiyoor, Kolari, Kayani, Mettadi, and Nalankeri. Uthiyoor had elected the outgoing municipal chairperson Seena Ismail in the 2007 elections.
The UDF won Mettadi with a wafer thin margin of four votes, Aanikkari by 11 votes, and Kolari by 46 wards.
The victory margin of the LDF was 16 at Karetta, 21 at Kuzhikkal, 13 at Uruvachal, and 51 at Mundayode.
The highest margin was 617, by Rajatha K of the CPI(M) from Edavelikkal, and the lowest was four votes, by C. Anitha of the Congress from Mettadi.
The IUML won all the five seats it contested and the CMP the two wards it contested. The Bharatiya Janata Party came in second position at two wards, Kayaloor and Karetta. The Communist Party of India (CPI) won its only seat at Karetta. The Indian National league (INL) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) failed to make a mark in any of the wards.
The 34-member new council will have 18 women councillors, 17 from the women reservation seats and one from the Scheduled Castes category (Kolari).
