A neck-and-neck race among key fronts seems emerging in the battle for Perumbavoor municipality this time.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF), which rode into power in the 2015 election, remained confident of regaining power after it had suffered a jolt in July 2019 when the United Democratic Front (UDF) won a no-confidence motion against its chairperson Sathy Jayakrishnan. A Congress rebel, who won as an Independent, joined hands with the UDF to bring an end to the LDF regime.
In the 27-ward council, the Left front had 13 representatives while the Congress had eight councillors. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which increased its share from one seat in 2010 to three in 2015, exuded confidence of improving its tally in the forthcoming election. Two Independents and one candidate of the People’s Democratic Party had also won the previous election.
Despite losing power following the no-confidence motion, Ms. Jayakrishnan claimed that the development works carried out in the four-year rule would boost the performance of the Left front candidates. “The Yatri Nivas bus terminal, inauguration of the EMS Town Hall and houses for beneficiaries under the Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana figured among our achievements,” she said.
But the Opposition alleged that the LDF-rule failed to enhance the internal revenue and the infrastructural needs of the municipality. Biju John Jacob of the Congress said the decentralised waste management units set up at the town hall and private bus stand amidst fanfare had turned defunct. “The Left front had to just carry out the inauguration of the town hall, the work of which was completed in the time of UDF-rule between 2010 and 2015,” he claimed.
The CPI(M) will field its candidates in 19 wards this time followed by Communist Party of India in six and Kerala Congress (Mani) and Congress (S) in one seat each. In the UDF, the Congress will contest in 23 seats while the Muslim League will have two candidates with the remaining two being shared by the Kerala Congress (Joseph) and the Revolutionary Socialist Party. The Bharatiya Janata Party will have its candidates in 20 seats as it hopes to make dents in the traditional strongholds of the Left and Congress parties.
