CPI(M) rides to power in five of six corporations in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a huge gain for the CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala, the opposition front today gained control of five of the six corporations in the state, with the Congress-led UDF being forced to be satisfied with the lone Kochi corporation.

Three of the six Mayors are women.

The corporations of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur have gone to Left Democratic Front (LDF).

In the state capital, CPI(M)'s V K Prashanth was elected as mayor after getting 42 votes in the 100-member corporation.

Early this month, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) had suffered a setback in the local body polls, seen as a dress rehearsal for Assembly polls due next year.

While the LDF has improved its tally in the civic body polls, the saffron party which had failed to taste success so far in the Assembly and Parliament polls has made inroads in different areas, especially in Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad and Ernakulam, posing a stiff threat to both the fronts.

In a major blow to UDF and LDF, in the prestigious 100 member Thiruvananthauram City corporation, BJP has managed to wrest 34 seats, pushing the UDF that secured 21 seats to third position, while LDF, which held the Corporation for the last two decades, won 42 wards, short of a simple majority.

V Rajendra Babu in Kollam, Ajita Jayaraj in Thrissur and K C Mamamad Koya in Kozhikode, all from CPI(M), have been elected Mayors.

The biggest blow to Congress was in Kannur, where party rebel P K Ragesh cast his crucial vote to E P Latha of CPI(M), making her the first Mayor of the newly-formed corporation.

In the 55-member Kannur corporation, both UDF and LDF have 27 councillors and Congress rebel Ragesh's vote became crucial. Ragesh had put forth some conditions to his party leaders which were turned down by them, following which he voted for the CPI(M) candidate.