Kerala Local Body Election Results 2020 HIGHLIGHTS: JP Nadda thanks people for improved mandate for BJP in Kerala

The rift in the Congress-led United Democratic Front has come out in the open a day after it faced a major setback in the local body polls in Kerala despite performing well in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. Posters appeared in the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee office, seeking to dissolve the district Congress committee. Also, boards have been erected in Kozhikode district by Congress sympathisers criticising the party's state leadership. Though the State Election Commission is expected to announce the final results only by evening, the latest trends issued by the poll body shows that the UDF is leading in 375 grama panchayats, 44 block panchayats, 45 municipalities and three district panchayats. Senior leaders including former union minister P J Kurien, Vadakara MP K Muraleedharan and Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan, hit out against the party leadership headed by Mullappally Ramachandran and said the organisationalset-up of the Congress party was weak. "It's not right to say that our party lost its base in the state. But it seems like when our political rivals are expanding their voter base, we were unable to do so. That seems like the reason behind our defeat," Unnithan told the media. Senior Congress MP K Sudhakaran also lashed out at the state Congress leadership and said democracy needs to be reinstated in the party. "We need to reinstate democracy inside the party. The party should bring in leaders who can instill confidence in the minds of party workers and the civil society. Then we can save the party," Sudhakaran said. (PTI)

Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac says message of state civic election to the nation: BJP’s polarisation agenda can be contained. You have to an agenda that strengthens unity of people like the demands of the agitating farmers in Delhi and alternative development agenda as in Kerala. Will Congress rethink their tactics?

The BJP led NDA has so far won 1182 of 1562 wards in Gram Panchayat, 37 of 2080 wards in Block Panchayat, 2 of 331 wards in district panchayat, 320 of 3078 wards in municipality, 59 of 414 wards in Corporation. 

BJP's KJ Alphons: We (BJP) won 1,623 seats in Gram Panchayats, Blocks, Zilla Panchayats, Corporations and Municipalities together in Kerala. We will be in power in 23 Gram Panchayats. Our numbers are equal to other parties in nearly 50 Gram Panchayats. We might come in power there also. Congress allied with LDF, knowing BJP was going to win in many places in Kerala. Their collapse is seen in most places. It was expected as they have no leadership and ideology. In Kerala, they (Congress) oppose communist. In the rest of the country, they are hugging each other.

The Congress led UDF has won 5893 of 15962 wards in gram panchayats. It has bagged 727 of 2080 block panchayat wards, over 500 less than the LDF which has won 1267. The UDF has secured 110 of 331 wards in district panchayts, and 1172 of 3078 wards in municipality. It has won 120 of 414 wards in Corporation.

Kerala BJP chief K Surendran says BJP was able to retain Palakkad municipality with full majority and win in Pandalam. Even in Trivandrum Congress tally has gone down from 21 to 9 seats. He says the Congress party is on a terminal decline and the assembly elections will be a contest between CPI-M and the BJP 

The LDF has won 7263 of 15962 gram panchayats. Of 2080 block panchayts, the ruling coalition has won 1267. The LDF has bagged 207 of 414 wards in Corporation while BJP-led NDA has won 59 and Congress led UDF has secured 120. The LDF has swept district panchayats election by winning 212 of 331 seats. 

BJP National President JP Nadda thanks the people of Kerala for giving an improved mandate to BJP in Local Body Elections. "BJP Kerala President K Surendran Ji and Karyakartas worked tirelessly and with this mandate, we will continue to expose the corrupt, communal and hypocrite politics of both LDF and UDF fronts," says Nadda. 

BJP Kerala chief K Surendran says the CPI-M leadership should thank the leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala and former Kerala Congress chief minister Oommen Chandy for their victory in the local elections. He further says now it is clear the fight is between the CPI-M and BJP in the 2021 assembly election. "Congress Mukth Kerala will be true very soon," the BJP chief adds.

BJP General Secretary BL Santhosh thanks people of Kerala. He says Kerala has given BJP 1182 Gram Panchayat, 37 Block Panchayat, 2 Zila Panchayat, 320 Municipality, 59 Corporation wards. 25 Gram Panchayatss and 2 Municipalities (Palakkad, Pandalam), main opposition in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan thanked the people of Kerala for reposing faith in LDF. 'We are humbled by the trust and the confidence of the people of Kerala. This is a victory for secularism and inclusive development. My warm greetings to all the elected representatives,' he tweeted.

Seat share of the BJP has increased in Kerala local body election and this shows that people accepted Narendra Modi's welfare programmes, said Kerala BJP chief K Surendran

A P Sharafudeen, brother of BJP national vice-president A P Abdullakutty, lost Narath village panchayat in Kannur. He managed to bag 20 votes. 

Sitaram Yechury today said that the LDF has won a majority in all 3 panchayat tiers. Yechury said Kerala has strongly rebuffed the negative campaign by the UDF and the BJP. 

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said LDF got a comprehensive victory in local body polls. "This is victory of the people of state. This election results are befitting reply to those who are trying to destroy Kerala. Efforts of those who tried to destabilise govt using central agencies have been defeated."

Vijayan further said that the results have shown that UDF and its opportunistic politics have no space in Kerala. Congress was siding with the BJP to carry out false campaign and malign LDF. It has not succeeded.

Vijayan said that people accepted development works carried out by LDF govt in last four years. Those who were behind disinformation campaign thought that ppl's mandate can be turned against LDF. "I congratulate & thank all voters who were not influenced by false campaign and supported LDF," he said.

Amit Malviya: "BJP makes impressive gains in Kerala local body elections. It won Palakkad Municipality for the second time and also Pandalam Municipality, birth place of Swamy Ayyappa. Retains Madhur Panchayat in Kasargod for 40th year in a row! Does well in other high stakes contests too..."

Gram Panchayats-941

LDF -515
UDF -376
NDA-28
Others-22

Block Panchayats-152

LDF-108
UDF-44

District Panchayats-14

LDF-10
UDF-4

Municipality-86

LDF-35
UDF-45
NDA -4
Others -2

Corporations- 6

LDF-3
UDF-3

The ruling CPI-M led LDF has won 6755 wards in gram panchayat, 1048 wards in block panchayt, 26 wards in district panchayt, 1167 wards in municipality and 204 wards in corporation.

Gram panchayat has 15962 wards, block panchayat has 2080, district panchayat has 331, municipality has 3078 and corporation has 414 wards.

The BJP led NDA has won 1068 wards in gram panchayat, 37 wards in block panchayat, 1 ward in district panchayat, 320 wards in municpilaty and 59 wards in corporation. Largely, the contest is between CPI-M led LDF and Congress led UDF. Both have taken larger number of seats in all segments. 

The counting is still underway. 

The BJP has won Palakkad municipality for the second time, this time with a clear majority winning 28 out of 52 wards. BJP General Secretary (Organisation) congratulations the party unit in Kerala.

The CPI-M led LDF is leading in 7211 wards of Gram Panchayat, 1272 wards of Block Panchayat, in 211 wards of District Panchayt, in 1167 wards of Municipality and in 207 wards of Corporations. 

The Congress-led UDF is ahead in 5790 wards of gram panchayat, 720 wards of block panchayat, in 111 wards of district panchayat, 1173 wards of municpality and 120 wards of corporations. 

The BJP has been trying hard to make inroads in Kerala. Despite steller perfornace in northern states, the saffron party has been struggling to expand its base in the Southern states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. While BJP is slowly growing in Andhra and Telangana, Kerala has proved to be a tough battle for the BJP. In the civic body polls, it hoped to perform well in a few corporations like Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram but failed to live up to expectations. In Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP could win just 34 of 100 wards whereas ruling LDF bagged 51, winning the chair of corporation once again. 

Kerala Civic Polls Results: CPI-M led Left Democratic Front has retained Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Out of 100 wards, the LDF has won 51, the NDA has bagged 34, the UDF has won 10 and others have got 5. 

Kerala Civic Body Polls Results: As per early trends, ruling CPI(M) led Left Democratic Front is leading in 520 of the total of 941 panchayats. The LDF is also leading in 10 out of the 14 district panchayats and 108 block panchayats of the total of 152. The Congress-led UDF is ahead in four district panchayats. Of the six corporations in the state, LDF and UDF are leading in three each. The BJP is ahead in 26 panchayats. A total of 21,893 wards in 1,200 local self-governing bodies, including 6 corporations, 941 village panchayats, 14 district panchayats and 87 municipalities went to the polls in three phases on December 8, 10 and 14. (With agency inputs)

The Congress-UDF is leading on 45 of 86 seats while the LDF is ahead on 35. LDF and UDF are in neck-to-neck in Corporations.

Municipality-86

LDF-35
UDF-45
NDA -2
Others -4

Corporations- 6

LDF-3
UDF-3

Gram Panchayats-941

As per latest trends, ruling LDF is ahead in gram, block and district panchayats. Latest numbers  

LDF -522
UDF -363
NDA-23
Others-32

Block Panchayats-152

LDF-108
UDF-44

District Panchayats-14

LDF-10
UDF-4

Ahead of the polls, Kerala BJP President K Surendran claimed that the ruling LDF government would suffer a blow in the civic polls as its image dented due to gold smuggling controversy in which chief minister's then princiapl secretary's role is under scanner. The then principal secretary us facing serious charges and currently under probe. The Congress-led UDF was also hoping to perform better than what it did in 2015. But it was also facing infighting among alliance partners that might have hit the party.  

Kerala Local Body Polls: The BJP candidates have defeated LDF and UDF Mayor candidates in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi respectively. In Kochi, by one vote. Pandalam Ward, Swami Ayyappa’s birth place won by BJP candidate, says BJP's BL Santhosh

BJP General Secretary BL Santhosh: Madhur Panchayath in Kasargod district won by NDA winning 14 out of 20 wards . 40th year of BJP rule since 1980.

In the last civic polls held in 2015, the ruling Left front had nearly swept the local polls by winning 549 village panchayats, 90 block panchayats, 44 municipalities and four corporations. At the district panchayat level, both UDF and LDF had won 7 seats each. The BJP had come third in terms of wards but displayed an impressive performance in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and Palakkad municipality.

(With agency input) 

As per trends, BJP-led NDA is leading in 22 wards, LDF in 26, UDF in 4 in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.

BJP District President VV Rajesh has won from Poojappura ward.

The civic polls in Kerala are considered tobe a precusror of what may happen in the next assembly election to be held in 2021. Here, we take a look at how parties fared in the last assembly polls held in 2016. Kerala has 140-member House.

The three largest alliance in terms of voter share was CPM-led LDF (43.48 per cent), Congress-led UDF (38.81 per cent), and BJP-led NDA (14.96 per cent).

CPI-M: 58
Congress: 22
CPI: 19
IUML: 18
JD-S: 3
KC-M: 6
NCP-2
BJP-1

Gram Panchayats: 15,962
Block Panchayats: 2,076
District Panchayats: 331
Municipalities: 3,122
Corporations: 414

Gram Panchayats: 941
Block Panchayats: 152
District Panchayats: 14
Municipalities: 87
Corporations: 6

Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac has said that the CPM-led LDF is heading towards a resounding victory in the civic body polls in the state. He said the people of his state rejected the slander campaign of the Congress and BJP and also the machinations of central agencies. 'It is a vote for left politics and development alternative of Kerala government,' he said in a tweet.

Kerala Local Body Results LIVE: BJP workers are celebrating in Thiruvananthapuram where the NDA is leading in 13 wards.

The counting is currently underway. 

LDF wins in 7 wards

NDA-3 and UDF-1 in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation

As per trends, NDA is leading in 14 wards, LDF 21, and UDF 4

LDF's mayor candidate S Pushpalatha has lost to NDA candidate by 145 votes.

BJP's mayoral candidate B Gopalakrishnan has lost the election from the Kuttankulangara seat. The BJP was expecting to do better in the Thrissur Corporation as it had expanded its base in the last Lok Sabha election. In 2019, the BJP had fielded Suresh Gopi from Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency. Gopi came third but ge got 293822 votes with 28.2 per cent vote share. The Congress won the seat with over 4.15 lakh votes and 39.8 per cent vote share. The BJP had lost the election but gained significantly in terms of vote share. 

Block Panchayats-152

LDF-93
UDF-56
NDA-2

District Panchayats-14

LDF-11
UDF-3

Municipality-86

LDF-38
UDF-39
NDA -3
Others -6

Corporations- 6

LDF-8
UDF-2