Kerala local body election results: UDF wins Vizhinjam and Payimpadam wards, LDF bags Onakkoor

The United Democratic Front (UDF) on Tuesday (January 13) won the Vizhinjam ward of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and Payimpadam ward of the Moothedam panchayat in Malappuram district, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) emerged victorious in the Onakkoor ward of the Pampakuda panchayat in Ernakulam district in the special local body elections held in Kerala. READ

The BJP had secured a historic victory in Thiruvananthapuram, which witnessed a triangular contest, during the recently held civic body elections in Kerala. The party won 50 wards, ending decades of Left rule in the state capital. The LDF won 29 wards, while the Congress-led UDF also made progress, emerging victorious on 19 wards. However, with the win in Vizhinjam, Congress tally rises to 20 in the city corporation.

The LDF retained the Onakkoor ward in the Pampakuda panchayat of Ernakulam district, with candidate CB Rajeev winning by a margin of 221 votes. Rajeev polled 558 votes, while Congress candidate Jose T P Thelliyammel secured 337 votes. In the 2020 elections, the seat was won by independent candidate Alice Varghese.

In Payimpadam, UDF candidate Korambayil Zubeida won the ward, defeating independent candidate Sebina Teacher by a margin of 222 votes. 

In Vizhinjam, UDF candidate KH Sudheer Khan won the seat defeating LDF by a narrow margin of 83 votes, securing 2,902 votes. In the 2020 local body elections, CPM candidate Sameera S Mihdad had won the ward by a margin of 218 votes. Sudheer Khan's victory takes the Congress tally in the Thiruvananthapuram city corporation to 20. 

The United Democratic Front (UDF) won the Vizhinjam and Payimpadam wards, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) emerged victorious in the Onakkoor ward in the special local body elections held in Kerala.

The BJP's gains, particularly in Thiruvananthapuram, have sparked speculation about a broader realignment in Kerala politics. BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar claimed the party received more than 20% of the votes across Kerala, attributing its success to public resentment against corruption and governance failures. However, the party’s overall performance outside Thiruvananthapuram remained modest, with only five gram panchayats and two municipalities under its control.​

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor VV Rajesh was elected as the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. This is for the first time in history when a councillor of the saffron party has been elected as the Mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Rajesh, who is saffron party's Kerala Secretary and Kodunganoor ward councillor, secured the support of 50 BJP councillors and an independent. Meanwhile, Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate RP Shivaji and United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate KS Sabarinathan secured 29 votes and 17 votes, respectively.

The BJP had secured a historic victory in Thiruvananthapuram, which witnessed a triangular contest, during the recently held civic body elections in Kerala. The party won 50 wards, ending decades of Left rule in the state capital. The LDF won 29 wards, while the Congress-led UDF also made progress, emerging victorious on 19 wards. The polling in Thiruvananthapuram was held during the first phase of Kerala civic body polls on December 9, which witnessed 70.91 per cent voters exercising their franchise, as per the State Election Commission (SEC). 

In Thiruvananthapuram, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has registered a historic victory. The alliance has won 50 out of the 101 wards. The LDF, which is in power in the state, has won 29 wards, while the UDF has won 19 wards. Independent candidates also won two wards. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) wrested control of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation from the CPI(M), ending four decades of Left rule in the state capital. This breakthrough is being hailed as a "watershed moment" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who credited the party’s grassroots workers for the “spectacular results." The victory opens the possibility of the BJP’s first-ever Mayor in Kerala, with retired DGP R Sreelekha tipped for the post.​

The counting of votes for Vizhinjam ward of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is also being held. The election to the Vizhinjam ward of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, which was earlier postponed due to the death of an Independent candidate, was held on January 12. According to the State Election Commission's figures, the ward witnessed 66.97 per cent polling, with 8,912 out of the 13,307 voters casting their votes.

According to the State Election Commission (SEC), early trends in the three wards show the LDF leading in two seats, while the UDF is ahead in one. In Vizhinjam, LDF candidate Noushad N is leading by 2,082 votes, while in Onakkur, LDF’s C B Rajeev has a lead of 558 votes. In Payimpadam, UDF candidate Korambayil Subaida is ahead by 501 votes.

According to the SEC, the trends in the three wards are as follows:

• Vizhinjam: LDF's Noushad N is leading by 2,082 votes.
• Onakkoor: LDF's CB Rajeev is leading by 558 votes 
• Payimpadam: UDF's Korambayil Subaida leads by 501 votes

The Payimpadam ward is the seventh of Moothedam gram panchayat's 17 wards. The ward has a total of 991 voters. The election in this ward was postponed following the death of the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, Vattath Haseena, three days before the scheduled polling date.

The overall voter turnout across the three wards stood at 69.15 per cent. Vizhinjam recorded a turnout of 66.97 per cent, while Payimpadam and Onakkur wards saw higher participation at 84.21 per cent and 81.57 per cent, respectively.

Counting of votes for the special elections in three local self-government wards in Kerala began at 10 am on Tuesday (January 13). Polling was conducted on Monday in the Vizhinjam ward of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the Payimpadam ward of Moothedam grama panchayat in Malappuram district, and the Onakkur ward of Pampakuda grama panchayat in Ernakulam district, following the deaths of candidates ahead of the local body polls.