Independent candidate Gails Devassy won the election to the Seminary ward in Aluva municipality held on Tuesday defeating the United Democratic Front candidate and the Left Democratic Front-backed independent candidate.
Mr. Devassy emerged winner by a margin of six votes. He secured 136 votes as against 130 won by the UDF candidate T.T. George. Infighting within the Congress is said to have led to the defeat of the UDF candidate.
C.V. James, the LDF independent candidate, could manage only 37 votes and came sixth in a field of seven candidates.
The counting of votes held at the Government Girl’s High School, Aluva, started at 8 a.m. and the results were out in just over an hour at 9.15 a.m. The result was inconsequent as the UDF has a majority of 22 in the 28-member house.
In the election held on Tuesday, 56.88 per cent out of the total of 905 voters had cast votes.
Election to the ward, which was originally scheduled for October 25 along with election to the rest of the local bodies in the district, had to be postponed following the death of C. V. Baby, Kerala Congress (M) candidate contesting from the ward.
M.O. John, UDF’s potential municipal chairman candidate when the election was originally planned, had not contested the election.
