The Left Democratic Front (LDF) bagged 16 of 32 local body wards to which byelections were held on Tuesday. The United Democratic Front (UDF) won 11, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) one, and Independents four, the State Election Commission (SEC) said on Wednesday.
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The votes were counted on Wednesday across different centres.
The LDF constituents CPI(M) and CPI won 15 seats and one seat respectively. The UDF constituents Congress won six, IUML four and RSP one seat.
The BJP won a lone seat in the Vadakke Idaliparakkudi ward in Edamalakkudi grama panchayat, Idukki district, wresting it from the CPI(M) by a margin of one vote, according to the SEC.
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A CPI(M) ‘rebel’ won in the Ariyacode ward of Erumayoor grama panchayat, Palakkad, defeating the Congress candidate.
In the bypolls to the two Corporation wards, the CPI(M) retained Vettucaud in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and Gandhi Nagar in Kochi Corporation. Clinus Rozario won in Vettucaud by a margin of 1,490 votes, while in Gandhi Nagar, Bindu Sivan won by a margin of 687 votes.
In the three municipality wards, the Congress retained Ozhinjavalappu in Kanhangad and Chalampadam in Irinjalakkuda, while the CPI(M) retained Edapallychira in Piravom.
The CPI(M) retained all three district panchayat wards - Aroor in Alappuzha, Sreekrishnapuram in Palakkad, and Nanmanda in Kozhikode - to which the bypolls were held.
The CPI(M) also retained the block panchayat wards of Edakkode in Chirayinkeezhu and Pothencode ward in Pothencode in Thiruvananthapuram district; Azhikode in Mathilakam in Thrissur district and Chungamannam in Kuzhalmannam, Thrissur district.
The bypolls to the 20 grama panchayat wards saw some upsets on Wednesday.
The CPI wrested Ponnamchundu grama panchayat ward in Thiruvananthapuram district from the Congress, while Naduvilakkara in Thevalakkara panchayat, Kollam district, which was held by the BJP fell to the RSP.
Kalarippadi ward in Kanakkari panchayat, Kottayam district held by the Congress fell to the CPI(M). The IUML wrested the Light House ward in Kadappuram panchayat, Thrissur district, and the Cheenikkal ward in Pookottoor panchayat, Malappuram, from the CPI(M).
The polling held on Tuesday had recorded a 75.06% turnout. Counting of the votes began at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and progressed smoothly, the commission said.