Kerala Local Body Bypolls: Eight 'MLA Wards' in Focus on September 28

Thirty-eight local body wards across Kerala will go to the polls on September 28, with eight of them drawing particular political attention because they fell vacant after their sitting representatives were elected to the State Assembly.

Although the results will not alter the balance of power in the eight local bodies concerned, they are being read as an early measure of public sentiment towards the four-month-old United Democratic Front (UDF) government.

Seven of the eight wards were previously held by the UDF, which won the Assembly elections with 102 of 140 seats. A poor showing could prove awkward for the ruling front, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is looking to capture the seats as a way of recovering from its Assembly defeat.

Three of the vacancies are in district panchayat divisions. The Kallara division of the Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat fell vacant after Congress leader Muhammed Sudeersha S. was elected from Vamanapuram. In Kottayam, the Thrikkodithanam division of the district panchayat is going to the polls following the victory of Kerala Congress's Vinu Job Kuzhimannil in Changanassery. The Pallasana division of the Palakkad district panchayat was vacated by CPI(M)'s T.M. Sasi, elected from Alathur.

Two corporation divisions are also in contention. Ayyappankavu in Kochi Corporation fell vacant after Congress's Deepak Joy won Thripunithura, while Kuttichira in Kozhikode Corporation followed the election of Indian Union Muslim League's Fathima Thahiliya from Perambra.

In Palakkad, the Paruthikkavu ward of Chittur-Thathamangalam municipality is going to the polls after Congress's Sumesh Achuthan was elected from Chittur. The Pallickal ward of the Mananthavady block panchayat in Wayanad fell vacant with the election of Congress's Usha Vijayan from Mananthavady, and the Kalleli ward of the Aruvappulam grama panchayat in Pathanamthitta followed Congress's C.V. Santhakumar winning Adoor.

Both fronts have deployed senior leaders for the campaign. C.V. Santhakumar said the UDF convener Adoor Prakash had addressed a rally in Kalleli ward and that three District Congress Committee general secretaries had been placed in charge of the campaign, with the front highlighting the government's early achievements. He acknowledged that voters sometimes raise concerns about power cuts, and said party workers explain the circumstances behind the situation.

CPI(M) State committee member A.N. Shamseer described the bypolls as an assessment of the four-month performance of the V.D. Satheesan-led government. He said local leadership was running the campaign, with secretariat and State committee members assigned to different wards, and expressed confidence that the LDF would retain its seats and gain more, including the Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat division.

Muhammed Sudeersha said he felt a natural responsibility for the campaign in his Kallara division and was confident of retaining the seat. Another CPI(M) State committee member, A.A. Rahim, said the LDF treats every bypoll with political seriousness and is raising issues such as power cuts, uncertainty over welfare pension distribution and KIIFB projects. BJP State secretary Jiji Joseph said the party is contesting all wards and expects to make its presence felt.