The CPM-led Democratic Left Front (LDF) succeeded in wresting control of five of Kerala’s six municipal corporations, underscoring its dominance in the main cities of the state.
the Results of December 16 to the elections to local rural and urban bodies statewide it had shown that the LDF obtained a simple majority in the Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kozhikode corporations. In two other corporations, Kochi and Thrissur, the LDF was side by side with the UDF led by Congress. The Kannur corporation was the only one in which the UDF had a simple majority.
On Monday, the LDF was able to install its mayoral and deputy mayor candidates in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kozhikode thanks to its majority on those councils. Furthermore, the LDF returned to power in the Kochi Corporation after a 10-year period by claiming the support of the independent and rebellious UDF directors. The rebels were promised positions of chairmen of permanent commissions.
In fact, a fight broke out between LDF and UDF councilors on Monday inside the council hall of the Kochi corporation just before the deputy mayor elections, over the problem that LDF councilors were not arriving on time.
At Thrissur Corporation, while the LDF was unable to secure its own mayor, it seized power by making rebellious Congressional councilor MK Varghese mayor for the first two years. Under the agreement, the next two years of the governing council will have a mayor from CPM and a mayor from CPI will take office in the last year.
Arya Rajendran, 21, made history by becoming one of the youngest mayors in the country after being sworn in as head of the Thiruvananthapuram corporation. The LDF has elected Prasanna Ernest as Mayor of Kollam, M Anilkumar as Mayor of Kochi and Dr. Beena Philip as Mayor of Kozhikode. TO Mohanan was elected mayor of the Kannur corporation.
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