In Kochi Corporation, Palluruthy is LDFs only bright spot

Though the Left Democratic Front’s drubbing in the Kochi Corporation in the local body elections was near total, the impact was not uniform across the four CPI(M) area committee limits within the civic body. The front performed relatively better in certain pockets and far worse in others.

The strike rate of the LDF was particularly poor in divisions under the Thrikkakara and Ernakulam area committees, where it managed to win only two of the 19 divisions and four of the 25 divisions respectively. The lone silver lining was the Palluruthy area committee, where the LDF secured nine of the 11 divisions. Though not as strong, seven of the 21 divisions under the Kochi area committee also returned LDF candidates.

LDF sources said that while an anti-government wave was the overriding factor behind the setback, the differential nature of the verdict suggests that the failure of the local leadership to communicate the achievements of the previous LDF council, along with flaws in candidate selection, especially in Kochi, may have contributed to the outcome.

In the Palluruthy area, seven of the nine CPI(M) candidates emerged victorious, while LDF allies, Communist Party of India and Kerala Congress (M), won the single division that each contested in. The LDF lost only in Edakochi South, by 24 votes, and in the Palluruthy division. Kadebagham and Thazhuppu were the only divisions in the Corporation where LDF candidates secured victory margins exceeding 1,000 votes.

In Kochi, six of the 10 CPI(M) candidates won, compared to only one of the seven Independents. LDF allies CPI, JD(S), KC(M), and NC-SP, which contested in one seat each, lost all of them. Tharebagham was won by just nine votes and Mundamveli East by only 15, while CPI(M) candidates also won in Chakkamadom, Manasserry, Moolamkuzhi, Nazreth, and Fort Kochi Veli.

In Ernakulam, nine of the 11 CPI(M) candidates lost. Elamkulam North and Thevara were the only divisions to elect CPI(M) candidates, while the CPI and an LDF-backed Independent won the Pottakkuzhy and Ravipuram divisions respectively. Six LDF-backed Independents lost, and the allies fared no better: the CPI lost two of the three seats it contested in, while the JD(S), Nationalist Congress (Sharad Pawar), and the KC(M) lost all four divisions that they contested in.

CPI(M) candidate E.M. Sunil Kumar from Pachalam suffered the biggest defeat in the Corporation, losing by 2,071 votes. The party lost Gandhi Nagar and Thattazham by narrow margins of 20 and 25 votes respectively. The LDF was pushed to the third position in six divisions, including Thrikkanarvattom, where the CPI’s C.A. Shakkeer contested.

The LDF managed to win only the Kunnumpuram and Ponnurunni East divisions in Thrikkakara, the only CPI(M) candidates to win out of the 15 who contested. All four Independents were defeated. In Ponnurunni East, the 809 votes polled by BJP candidate Sunitha Dixon, who finished third, proved advantageous to the CPI(M)’s Beena Divakaran, who won by 365 votes.