Kerala Local Body Election Results 2020 LIVE Updates: LDF trumps UDF; BJP improves tally

 Update at 6:00 PM: Kerala CM thanks for win

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Update at 5:50 PM: BJP'S K Surendran on Kerala poll results

Addressing a press conference, BJP chief K Surendran said, "The election result is proof that UDF AND LDF had an unholy nexus to ensure NDA candidates didn't win in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. The results are clear. Despite that, we won 36 seats. The UDF, who were at 21 last time, managed to win only 8. They have used this same template everywhere. There has been large scale cross voting".

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Update at 5:40 PM: BJP wins Pandalam civic polls

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Update at 5:20 PM: LDF maintains lead, as per latest trends

 

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Update at 5:00 PM: UDF press conference

"Compared to previous local body election, UDF has done well. In corporations and in some district panchayat we had some flaws. But overall this election was fought over local issues," said Ramesh Chennithala adding,  "This election has also proved that BJP is insignificant. We will find in our political affairs meeting, where we went wrong."

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Update at 4:45 PM CPM-BJP workers clash

 Clashes broke out between  CPI (M) & BJP workers inKoyilandy, Kozhikode amid local body election results

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Update at 4:00 PM : LDF wins 20 seats in Nileshwaram

LDF won 20 seats retaining Nileshwaram, UDF managed to win 9 seats, and three won by others. Compared to 2015, the UDF lost one seat to LDF and three to Others

Overall figures at 3:00 PM

• LDF has managed to retain its hold in the southern state winning 515 Gram panchayats, 113 block panchayats,  35 municipalities and 10 district panchayats.
• UDF has won 369 Gram Panchayats, 36 block panchayats, 45 municipalities, 4 district panchayats.
• NDA has improved its tally meagrely, winning 24 Gram Panchayats.

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Update at 3:31 PM: LDF wins Thiruvananthapuram

LDF wins Thiruvananthapuram with 52 out of 100 seats. BJP comes in 35 seats with Congress winning just 10. In 2015, Congress had 21 seats.

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Update at 2:45 PM: UDF candidate wins by 1 seat

UDF candidate in Kowadiar Sati Kumari wins by 1 vote, beating BJP Valsalakumari. She got  1140 votes, while the BJP got 1139

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Update: 

The youngest candidate of local body wins!

Reshma Mariam Roy, who contested under CPIM banner from Aruvappulam Panchayat in Pathanamthitta district has won. The candidate turned 21 on November 18. Reshma, an SFI activist is the district committee member as well.

Update: 

BJP district president V V Rajesh has won in the Poojappura ward of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.

Meanwhile,  in Kochi, the Twenty 20, Corporate-backed apolitical movement wins all the 14 seats it had contested. It has successfully displaced the LDF and UDF, who in order to beat them even kept a combined candidate. 

Twenty 20 victory is likely to inspire similar movements in Kerala. This was the first time the group contested outside Kizhakkambalam.

Update: 

The Congress which had won 21 seats in 2015 local body elections has received a drubbing with its candidates winning just 9 seats after 80% of the seats have been counted. 

The LDF which had led in 2015 with 44 seats has fared much better this election with a win that crossed 39 after results of 75 seats came out. This trend indicates the minorities have drubbed the grand old party.

Although BJP had won 35 seats in the last local body elections, so far it has won 29 seats, which again indicates that its voter base is intact. 

The trend indicates a huge swerve of minority votes to the LDF.

Update: 

Jose K Mani: UDF LOSS IS LDF GAIN

Jose K Mani, son of late leader KM Mani who was a long time ally of the Congress led UDF had jumped ship to LDF before the local body elections.

This seems to have helped the LDF in central Christian belt of Kerala.

LDF, for the first time, was able to seize 14 wards from the UDF through the new alliance

Update: BJP has sprung a surprise win in Pandalam muncipality with a win of 17 seats. Pandalam, pushing down LDF with 7 seats and UDF with 5 seats.

The muncipality, ruled by LDF has been snatched away by the BJP.

The Sabarimala issue is considered to be the reason behind the loss of LDF here

Update: UDF has been defeated in wards of KPCC President Mulapally Ramachandran and opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala.

Meanwhile, Twenty-20 movement which for the first time tested its chance outside Kizhakkambalam grama panchayat has won in 4 seats.

Update: BJP state president K Surendran's brother K Bhaskaran defeated at Ulliyeri panchayat in Kozhikode
For the first time, BJP opens its account in Kannur Muncipal Corporation.

MAVELIKKARA Muncipality the three parties win 9 seats each with a hung. The 9-9-9 win for each party is being witnessed for the first time.

Update: LDF candidate where the CPIM state office known as AKG centre is located has lost. Along the same lines, the candidate who contested from where BJP state office at Thycaud is located has also lost.

Update: Karat Faisal who was embroiled in the gold smuggling controversy was denied a seat by the LDF. However, he has won at Koduvally with his opposing candidate of LDF winning mere 9 votes.

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The Kerala Local Body election trends show that the CPI-M led Left Democratic Front (LDF) has been able to maintain a significant lead. As the counting of the votes continues, for the 941 gram panchayats, the LDF has won 558 with Congress-led UDF trailing with 519 seats.

BJP making inroads in Kerala

BJP has fared better than the 2015 local body elections with the saffron party winning 93 seats so far. The BJP has achieved a surprise win in a municipality like Ottapalam in Palakkad as it was considered a stronghold of the LDF. The party won 9 seats leading to a hung municipality in Ottapalam. 

In South Kerala, the BJP has doubled its win in Varkala municipality in Thiruvananthapuram — another place where BJP has never secured a win in the history of the state. Thiruvananthapuram former Mayor from the LDF, K Sreekumar faced defeat at the hands of BJP candidate Biju Kumar. Kozhikode Corporation Mayor candidate from the NDA Padmakumari also defeated veteran Congress leader N Venugopal, who was UDF mayor candidate. 

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The BJP lead NDA has so far won 127 seats in gram panchayat and 211 seats in the municipality. It has also won 14 seats across 6 corporations across the state. The saffron surge is expected to rise further in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Palakkad Municipality and Corporation and Thrissur.

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