Clear vote-share lead in Ernakulam district panchayat makes UDF dominance evident

A clear dominance of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) over the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the Ernakulam district panchayat has become evident, going by the vote share that both the alliances managed to gain in the recent local body elections.

The UDF got 44.15% of the total votes polled in the 28 divisions of the district panchayat against the LDF’s 37.23%. The figures show a clear difference of 6.92% between the major fronts. The UDF’s vote share reflects the sweeping victory that the front scored in the local body, winning 25 out of 28 seats. The LDF was restricted to the remaining three seats.

Of the total 13,88,536 votes polled in the 28 divisions, the UDF got 6,13,166, while 5,16,994 went to the LDF’s kitty. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) got 1,77,580 votes, accounting for 12.78%.

In many of the divisions, the difference in vote share between the UDF and the LDF was close to or above 10%. Moothakunnam, Karukutty, Thuravoor, Kodanad, Avoly, Pampakuda, Kumbalanghi, and Keezhmad are among the divisions where the UDF emerged as the winner, polling over 50% of votes.

Among the UDF winners, Jinto John of the Congress secured the maximum vote share with 60.53%. He defeated Mathews kolenchery of the Congress(S) from the Thuravoor division.

Congress allies Indian Union Muslim League, Kerala Congress, and the Kerala Congress (Jacob) also gained impressive vote shares in the seats they won – Edathala (44.30%), Neryamangalam (49.28%), and Mulanthuruthy (46.61%).

Of the three seats that it won, the LDF registered its highest vote share in Kadamakudy, where the poll had ended up as a direct fight between the CPI(M) and the BJP after the nomination of the Congress candidate got rejected due to technical errors.

In Kadamakudy, where the Congress was expecting a smooth win, the CPI(M)’s Mary Vincent N.G. emerged victorious polling 55.62% of votes against the BJP’s Rachana who managed to get 27.30%. It is the highest vote share polled by the NDA in the district panchayat. Had it not been for the Kadamakudy fiasco, where the Congress did not even have a dummy candidate, the UDF’s final vote share would have been higher.

The LDF’s vote share in the other two seats where it won are 43.45% in Cherayi and 36.80% in Puthencruz. In Puthencruz, the Kitex-backed Twenty20 came second with a vote share of 30.35%.