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LDF Wins Bavode East Ward by 65 Votes

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 4:26 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

LDF Wins Multiple Seats

LDF captured Bavode East ward in Kannur, defeating UDF candidate M. Ranjish by 65 votes.
LDF retained Uruvachal division of Mattannur municipality, expanding its majority to 276 votes.
LDF won Paruthikkavu after a draw in Palakkad bypolls.
LDF candidate Ponnukkuttyan won Pallassana division by 10,596 votes, increasing margin from 7,085 votes.

Summary

Kannur Records High Turnout

Overall voter turnout in the 38 by-poll wards reached 58.81 %.
Kannur recorded the highest turnout at 84.55 %.
Kottayam’s turnout dropped to 54.24 %.
LDF campaigned on power cuts, hospital medicine shortages, and farmer distress in 98 ESA villages.
UDF promoted the Priyadarshini free-travel scheme for women, Onam price controls, and Operation Toofan anti-narcotics drive.

History

Historical Context

In the 1995 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) secured 80 of 140 seats, ushering E.K. Nayanar into his third chief-ministerial term. The United Democratic Front (UDF) led by K. Karunakaran captured only 56 seats, a 24-point gap that reflected a 58% voter turnout statewide. Today's by-polls in Kannur and Kottayam echo that contest, with LDF winning Bavode East by 65 votes and Pallassana by 10,596 votes, mirroring past swings. The 1995 outcome demonstrated how coalition dynamics and localized issues can reshape Kerala's political map, suggesting today's tight margins may presage shifts in state governance.

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LDF Wins Multiple Seats

LDF captured Bavode East ward in Kannur, defeating UDF candidate M. Ranjish by 65 votes.
LDF retained Uruvachal division of Mattannur municipality, expanding its majority to 276 votes.
LDF won Paruthikkavu after a draw in Palakkad bypolls.
LDF candidate Ponnukkuttyan won Pallassana division by 10,596 votes, increasing margin from 7,085 votes.

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