LDF resgisters impressive win in local body byelection

MALAPPURAM: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has made impressive gain in the byelection held to the four local bodies in the district by wresting two sitting seats from UDF.
When the results of byelection which was held on Tuesday announced on Wednesday, LDF won Karayil ward of Thalakkad panchayat and Pallippadi ward of Edakkara panchayat, which were sitting seats of UDF.Though UDF managed to retain the Cheenamputhur ward of Kottakkal municipality and Kolathur-Palakapparambu ward of Moorkkanad panchayat, the victory margin of these seats has been decreased.
The by-election was necessitated in the Cheenamputhoor ward of Kottakkal municipality, after the former member T V Mumthaz of Muslim League resigned her post. When results announced, the UDF candidate M Girija won the seat by 147 votes. When Girija managed to win 536 votes, LDF candidate M Deepa secured 389 votes and BJP candidate Suvitha Mol secured 63 votes in the 8th ward of the municipality.
In Kolathur-Palakapparambu ward of Moorkkanadu panchayat, UDF candidate K P Hamsa won the seat by 138 votes. When he secured a total of 677 votes, LDF candidate K P Musthafa bagged 539 votes and BJP candidate P Velayudhan won only 39 votes. The by-election was announced in the first ward of the panchayat after the member Pulakkal Basheer of Muslim League was disqualified.
LDF has a surprising victory in the election held to the Karayil ward of Thalakkad panchayat which is traditional hold of Muslim League as its candidate K Noorjahan won the seat for 77 votes. In Pallippadi ward of Edakkara panchayat LDF candidate M K Chandran won the seat for 6 votes. The byelection was announced here, after the UDF member A Manu, who won the seat for a huge margin of 259 votes in previous election, resigned the post to join Indian Railways. M K Dhanajayan (UDF), and N R Sukumaran (BJP) were the candidates in the fray in the ward.