Ruckus backfires, UDF loses two seats in Ramya Haridas’ constituency; LDF gains in Thiruvananthapuram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF suffered a setback in the first by-election held after the UDF government came to power. The UDF had to surrender several of its seats to the LDF. Even in the seats it managed to retain, its majority declined significantly.

Chirayinkeezhu constituency in Thiruvananthapuram had been an LDF stronghold for years. However, Ramya Haridas wrested the seat from the LDF in the recent Assembly election in a surprise victory. Even UDF leaders had not expected Ramya to win.

However, barely 100 days after the government took office, voters in the constituency appear to be turning away from the UDF. The UDF lost both Mangalapuram and Anchuthengu, which fall within the constituency. The controversy surrounding Ramya Haridas’s alleged physical altercation is said to have dealt a severe blow to the UDF in the area. UDF leaders themselves have acknowledged this.

As per the final reports, LDF has gained the upper hand in Thiruvananthapuram. The victory in the Ottoor division of the Varkala Block Panchayat is also a significant win for the CPM. During the Assembly election, Smita Sundaresan, a CPM councillor, left the party and contested as a BJP candidate, dealing a major setback to the CPM.

In the by-election, the LDF retained the division with a margin of 925 votes. The LDF candidate secured 2,622 votes, while the NDA, which came second, got 1,697 votes. The UDF managed to secure only 1,198 votes.