Vaishna Suresh wrests LDF ward in Muttada; wins by 397 votes 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF had a landslide victory in the Muttada ward of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. UDF candidate Vaishna Suresh, who contested in the constituency, won by 397 votes. Vaishna Suresh's name was removed from the voters list after she became a candidate in Muttada, a Left stronghold. She garnered 1607 votes. There were strong allegations that the CPM and Mayor Arya Rajendran interfered and removed her name. Vaishna later secured her candidacy by approaching the high court and obtaining a favorable verdict. The loss of the Muttada seat, which has been held by the Left for years in Thiruvananthapuram, is a major setback for the LDF.

Vaishna defeated LDF councilor Amsu Vamadevan of Kesavadasapuram. The LDF candidate got 1210 votes. Ajith Kumar for BJP got only 460 votes. Vaishna came to know that her vote was omitted only after she started campaigning. A CPM branch committee member filed a complaint with the election commission, stating that there was a mistake in the address and that she should be excluded from the voters list.

Vaishna's name was not in the final list published later. Since there is a rule that a person can contest only if their names are in the voters list of any ward in the municipality, there was a concern on her candidacy. The Congress tried to capture the Muttada ward held by the LDF by fielding a younger candidate with the enthusiasm of youth. That attempt has now succeeded. Senior Congress leaders, including seniors, were active in the campaign for Vaishna.

Vaishna staying in a rented house in Ambalamukku said that her father's family house is in Muttada ward and this address is in all her documents. The commission's failure to inform the decision even after the hearing, was brought to the attention of the high court. The Election Commission accepted Vaishna's argument and issued the order following the court's direction. The Commission also clarified that the action of the municipality election officer who removed her name was not legal. Vaishna, who was a KSU activist, is also a law student. She was actively campaigning even during the legal battle.