BJP-led NDA wins control of eight grama panchayats in Alappuzha

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) assumed power in eight grama panchayats, including four through draw of lots, in Alappuzha district on Saturday.

Following the Kerala local body elections earlier this month, the NDA emerged as the single largest bloc in four grama panchayats – Budhanoor (seven seats), Karthikappally (six seats), Neelamperoor (seven seats) and Thiruvanvandoor (five seats).

BJP’s Pramod Kumar and Sreeja Sreekumar were elected president and vice-president of Budhanoor grama panchayat, respectively. In Karthikappally, the saffron party’s Ullasan P. was sworn in as president, while Vineetha was elected vice-president. Vinayachandran R. and Neethu Joseph, both BJP members, assumed office as president and vice-president of Neelamperoor panchayat, respectively.

In Thiruvanvandoor, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which won four seats in the local body polls, was able to match the NDA’s strength with the support of independent member K.K.S. Kurup. However, BJP member Smitha Rajesh assumed office as president of the local body after she and Kerala Congress (UDF) candidate Shiny Thomas were tied in the election to the president’s post even after the second round of voting (five votes each). This led to a draw of lots, which went in Ms. Rajesh’s favour. Meanwhile, Mr. Kurup was elected vice-president with the support of UDF members and another independent.

Through draw of lots

Besides these four local bodies, the NDA also came to power in Ala, Chennithala Thripperuthura and Chennam Pallippuram, all through draw of lots. In Ala, where the NDA and the UDF secured five seats each, Aneesha Biju and T.G. Rajesh, both BJP members, were elected president and vice-president, respectively. V. Binuraj of the BJP assumed office as president of Chennithala Thripperuthura, where the NDA and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) won seven seats each, while Ajitha Devarajan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was elected vice-president. In Chennam Pallippuram, BJP’s V. Vineetha and Dinesh Kumar were sworn in as president and vice-president, respectively.  In the elections, both the NDA and the UDF secured seven seats each in the local body.

In Pandanad, the post of panchayat president was reserved for a Scheduled Caste (SC) woman. Though the UDF, with six members, was the single largest bloc in the local body, its SC woman candidate lost the local body polls. The LDF also does not have an SC woman member. Jiji Kunjukunju of the BJP became president of the panchayat unopposed. Meanwhile, Geevarghese P.G. of the Congress was elected vice-president.

Elsewhere in the district, the LDF assumed power in 35 grama panchayats and the UDF in 27. Polls to the posts of president in Veeyapuram and Nedumudi will be held on Monday. In block panchayats, the LDF came to power in eight and the UDF in four.