The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front bagged 16 seats in the bypolls conducted for local bodies across Kerala, trouncing BJP which won none, reported Scroll. Congress-led United Democratic Front won 12 seats.
The Hindu reported that Independent candidates were elected from two wards while the Revolutionary Marxist party emerged victorious in one seat.
The UDF lost five of its seats in the bye-elections, four of which were won by the LDF and one by a Congress rebel. However, the UDF emerged victorious in five seats held by the ruling party, reported Scroll.
The BJP had been at the forefront of protests in the aftermath of the Supreme Court verdict that allowed women of all ages to enter Sabarimala temple while Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had declared that the LDF government was constitutionally bound to implement the top court’s orders, reported Scroll.
Voter turn-out for the bypolls stood at 80.12% for elections to 30 wards across 12 districts for which voting was held on 14 February. LDF had won 21 of 39 total seats in the bypolls held last November, while UDF won 12 seats and the BJP two.
According to The Hindu, LDF managed to wrest three wards from the UDF in the bypolls and the latter four from the LDF.
(With inputs from The Hindu and Scroll.)
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