The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) has issued the following statement on November 07, 2015.

THE CPI(M) congratulates the people of Kerala for having voted the LDF to victory in the elections to the local bodies. This verdict is a popular rejection of the UDF government’s anti-people record and corruption. The people have also rebuffed the communal politics of the BJP and its efforts to rally leaders of caste-based organisations.

The LDF has registered success in the various levels of the local bodies. It has won 545 out of the 938 gram panchayats declared so far; 91 out of the 152 block samitis and 7 out of the 14 zilla panchayats. Of the urban municipalities, the LDF has won 44 out of 86; of the six corporations, the LDF has won outright 3, it has emerged as the largest block in one and in another there is a tie. The UDF has won only one corporation outright.

The Polit Bureau conveys its warm greetings to all the workers and activists of the CPI(M) and the LDF for this well-earned victory.

LDF Scores Huge Victory in Local Body Polls

V B Parameswaran

IN what could be termed as semi-finals for the next year assembly polls, the Left Democratic Front recorded a resounding win in the three tier panchayat polls gaining close 58 percent local bodies. The United Democratic Front, which won 65 percent local bodies in 2010, has suffered a major setback. LDF has won majority of corporations, municipalities and three tier panchayats. The poll results are termed as writing on the wall for the UDF as its winning streak has come to an end. The UDF refrain, led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy – as much about it being a referendum on the government as that it is fighting polls as a ‘united’ front – has misfired. If Oommen Chandy is committed to his pre-election statement, he should immediately step down demanded CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

LDF has been able to gain control of 553 of the 941 panchayats, 90 of the 152 block panchayats, 45 of the 87 municipalities and 7 out of 14 district panchayats. The LDF could win only 365 gram panchayats in 2010. Of the six city corporations, LDF retained two in Kozhikode and Kollam and it emerged as the largest bloc in Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur corporations. UDF managed to win only in Kochi Corporation. In the newly formed Kannur Corporation, LDF won 26 seats and UDF won 27 seats. A UDF rebel also won in Kannur and he did not make his position clear so far. In 2010, the UDF had got a comfortable victory in Thrissur and Kochi.

In Thiruvananthapuram corporation, LDF won 42 seats out of 100. BJP got a second position with 34 seats and UDF is at a distant third with 21. Independents won three seats.

In Kollam, LDF won 35 out of 55. UDF got 16 and the BJP and independents got 2 each. Last time, the LDF won just 29 seats. In Kochi corporation, LDF won 23 and UDF won 38 out of 74. BJP won two seats while others won 11. In Kozhikode, the LDF has made a landslide victory by bagging 47 out of 75. UDF got only 20 seats.

In the total 15,962 gram panchayat wards, LDF has won in 7,115 wards. UDF got 5,931 and the BJP 897. Others won 1,047.

In Thiruvananthapuram district, LDF won 50 gram panchayats out of 73. Last time, the LDF got 34 only. The UDF and the BJP won 20 and 3 respectively.  LDF won all four municipalities in the district. While the LDF managed to win 9 block panchayats, UDF got only 2.

In Kollam, LDF got an overwhelming victory. CPI(M) led alliance bagged 59 gram panchayats out of 68 and all 9 block panchayats and all 4 municipalities. RSP parted away from the LDF and tasted a big defeat in its bastion. RSP contested 11 seats in Kollam corporation but won only four. Last time, the RSP was part of the LDF and they won 9 seats. In district pancahayats also their tally came down from four to one.

 In Pathanamthitta district, the LDF won 20 panchayats. UDF and BJP won 29 and 4 respectively. 5 block panchayats have been won by the UDF and 3 blocks by the LDF. Both fronts won 2 municipalities each. In district panchayats, LDF won 5 and UDF got 11.

In Alappuzha, the land of heroic struggle, Punnapra-Vayalar, LDF won 47 gram panchayats out of 72. UDF and BJP won 24 and 2 each. In district panchayats, LDF got a thumping majority. Out of 23 seats, LDF won 16 seats. The dream of the BJP of getting a huge victory by having an electoral understanding with the SNDP Yogam got shattered here. They have contested 1,083 gram panchayat wards in the district. They won 103 wards only. In block panchayats, they only got one seat and in the district panchayat none.Vellapally Natesan, the architect of the so-called BJP-SNDP alliance tasted defeat in his own land Kanichankulangara.  Here, the alliance candidate Santhammal was in the third position. SNDP could not achieve any major gains in seven southern districts where it has claimed to have a significant presence. In block panchayats, 9 blocks were won by the LDF while the UDF won 3. Out of six municipalities, the LDF won only two. Four seats were won by the UDF.

In Kottayam, the UDF won 48 gram panchayats out of 71 and the LDF won 23. UDF won 9 block panchayats and the LDF won 2. LDF won 2 municipalities and UDF won 4. In district panchayats, LDF doubled its tally from four to eight.

In Idukki, LDF won 22 gram panchayats, while the UDF won 27. Both fronts won one each municipality. In block panchayat, LDF won 2 while UDF won 6. In Ernakulam district, LDF bagged 39 and the UDF bagged 41 gram panchayats. Last time, the LDF won only six gram panchayats. Out of 14 municipalities, the LDF has raised its tally from 1 to 6 and UDF won 7. In district panchayats also, the LDF increased its seats from 4 to 11.

UDF suffered a major setback in Thrissur district, losing power in the district panchayat city corporation and most of the gram panchayats. In district panchayats, UDF suffered a debacle, where it won 7 divisions compared to 18 it had got last time.  LDF won 20 seats. The UDF, which had 47 members in the previous corporation council, managed just 21 this time, whereas the LDF increased it tally to 25 from a mere six.  LDF won 68 panchayats out of 82 and 13 blocks out of 21 and 5 municipalities out of 7. The Congress led UDF could not win any of the municipality in the district. The LDF also won the newly created Wadakanchery municipality by wresting 25 out of 41 seats.

In Palakkad, LDF won 70 panchayats out of 88 and 11 blocks and 2 municipalities. In the district panchayat, LDF won 27 divisions out of 30. UDF ended up with just 3 seats.  UDF lost Palaghat municipality also.

LDF has made noticeable gain in the Malappuram district. The UDF, particularly the Congress and the Muslim League suffered as the LDF improved its tally in the local bodies.  LDF won 30 panchayats out of 94 and 2 blocks out of 15 and 4 municipalities out of 12. LDF not only retained Perinthalmanna municipality but also won in Tirur and Ponnani municipalities. Kondotty municipality was won by Jankeeya Mathethara Munnani who was supported by the LDF and the Muslim League was shocked by this. In Parappangadi also, Muslim League lost power.  Apart from Ponnani, the  LDF won Perumpatappu block panchayat also. In district panchayats, LDF increased 3 seats and won 5 divisions.  

In Kozhikode district panchayat, LDF won 16 seats out of 26. LDF won 46 panchayats out of 70 and 9 blocks out of 12 and 5 municipalities out of 7. Anti CPI(M) outfit, Revolutionary Marxist Party, suffered a setback in Onchiyam panchayat, the birth place of the outfit. The CPI(M) managed to improve its tally from five to seven. RMP won 8 seats and was forced to depend on UDF for panchayat administration.  Wayanad, considered a traditional UDF bastion, has been redrawn with the LDF making deep inroads into many of their strongholds. Of the three municipalities in the district, the LDF won the Mananthavady where it got 17 of the 36 seats. LDF is locked in a tie with the UDF in Sultan Battery. LDF also made spectacular gains in the gram panchayats by emerging victorious in 12 panchayats out of 23 panchayats and in 3 block panchayats. It is clearly advantage LDF in its bastion Kannur district. LDF bagged 52 gram panchayats out of 71 including Anthoor municipality, where 14 seats were won unopposed, and in 10 grama panchayat and Panur block panchayat, all seats were won by the LDF. All 11 block panchayats are won by the LDF and in district panchayats, out of 24 divisions 15 are won by the LDF. Both fronts got 4 municipalities each in the district. In Kasargode district also, the LDF performance was impressive. Even though, the LDF lost district panchayat by a narrow margin, it won 4 block panchayats and two municipalities and 15 grama panchayats.