It's a hung council as BJP sends shock waves through both fronts

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It will take a while before the LDF and UDF can regain shapes after the harsh pounding that they received at the hands of BJP in the civic body elections. Hardly a day before the polling, LDF had sneeringly brushed aside BJP pitching their figures around 60-70 seats. They dreamt of doing what BJP did in Lok Sabha elections, decimating the opponents almost to the point of obscurity.UDF hardly seemed like posing any trouble. On counting day figures came right out of a nightmare for LDF. It fell way short of absolute majority, managing just 42 seats exactly what UDF had mustered in 2010 elections.
According to party leaders, votes leaked profusely from UDF camp, especially from Congress to BJP, in wards where LDF fielded the mayor candidates. At Pangode, Karamana and Chalai, UDF candidates did not even cross 1,000 votes. At Pangode, where Jayan Babu lost to BJP's Madhusoodanan Nair, UDF candidate polled just 7,03 votes. At Chalai, where LDF veteran Chalai Mohanan was trounced by BJP's SKP Remesh by 1,281 votes, UDF candidate gathered only 283 votes. At Karamana, where Karamana Hari seemed headed for a certain victory, UDF candidate polled 675 votes while BJP candidate Karamana Ajith bagged 2,514 votes and won with a majority of 1,316.
The LDF also had itself to blame in nurturing rebel candidates. At Kinavoor ward, where UDF candidate K C Vimalkumar polled 1,294 votes, LDF rebel candidate Sheelas K mustered up 1,168 votes and came second pushing LDF candidate to third position with 1,116 votes. BJP purchased happily from some rash decisions of LDF, especially at Kamaleswaram, where the seat was allotted to Mujeeb Rahman who had been a UDF councillor earlier. V Giri of BJP won the seat with a majority of 217 votes. Hindu consolidation coupled with anti-incumbency also hurt LDF badly. Of 34 seats won by BJP, LDF came second in 27 losing by narrow margins.
Besides, BJP sniffed closely in 19 wards where LDF and UDF had enjoyed unquestionable dominance in the previous elections. In Estate ward, BJP's Abhilash lost to LDF's A Vijayan by one vote, while BJP mayor candidate P Ashok Kumar was pipped by LDF's Vanchiyoor Babu by three votes. LDF, which eyed high gains from coastal wards this year, ended up losing sitting seats like Beemapally East, Punthura, Pallithura and Vettucadu. In return, they could just gain Kottapuram and Vizhinjam.
The UDF was prey to its own failings. The leadership messed up the candidate selection which foiled UDF prospects. At Pattom, KC (M) and Congress engaged in a friendly contest and BJP candidate Remya Ramesh cashed in on the vote share. While KC (M) and Congress together polled 1,590 votes, BJP candidate pocketed 1,585 votes and sealed victory. Similarly, BJP's V Giri zeroed in on the last minute split between Congress and Janata Dal (U) at Kamaleswaram.
At Jagathy, the plan to field Indusekharan Thampy instead of K Sureshkumar flopped as Thampy ended up in the third spot. UDF made it a cakewalk for LDF's Palayam Rajan at Nanthencode fielding Leelamma Issac much to the ire of local Congress workers. UDF remained mute spectators to the washout at wards around Nemom and Fort area and could not even retain sitting seats like Nemom, Fort and Perunthanni. At Kunnukuzhy, where UDF fielded Vinod Yesudas rejecting sitting councilor Mary Pushpam, an independent candidate came second pushing Vinod to third position and LDF candidate Binu IP emerged victorious.
LDF suffered jolts at Attipra and Valiyasala, which had remained impenetrable for decades. At Attipra, BJP's Suni Chandran won with a majority of 110 votes while at Valiyasala, BJP candidate Lekshmi M sprang a horrible shock for LDF's S Lathakumari, clinching the seat by a majority of 162 votes.