In Kerala local body polls, BJP hails seat-share gains even as ruling LDF beats UDF

Kerala's BJP chief K Surendran on Wednesday highlighted that BJP's seat share has increased in the state's local body polls. Speaking further he said that people have accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's welfare programs. Pointing towards the last Kerala local body elections, in which Congress had won 21 seats in Thiruvanthapuram Corporation, K Surendran said that now the party has won only 8 seats. The fight is between BJP and CPI (M), Kerala BJP chief added. 

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Earlier, while addressing a press conference, K Surendran said that Kerala local body election result is proof that UDF and LDF had an unholy nexus to ensure NDA candidates didn't win in Thiruvanthapuram Corporation. Stating that the results are clear,  state's BJP chief said, "Despite the unholy nexus, we won 36 seats." There has been a large scale cross-voting, Surendran alleged. 

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CM Pinarayi Vijayan thanks Kerala for win

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Thanking the people of the state for the win in Kerala local body elections, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that he along with his party is humbled by the trust and confidence of the people of Kerala. Calling this win a victory for secularism and inclusive development, the CM extended his greetings to all the elected representatives.

In the Kerala local body elections, the Left Democratic Front won in 514 out of 941 gram panchayats, 5 out of 6 corporations and 11 out of the 14 district panchayats. On the other hand, the Congress-led UDF, the main Opposition in Kerala won only 375 panchayats, 44 block panchayats and 4 district panchayats. This remarkable surge of LDF comes at a time when the front and its government is passing through one of the toughest periods since coming to power in 2016 as it had to face a barrage of allegations, including over the gold smuggling case, levelled by the opposition.

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(With ANI inputs)