The counting of votes polled in the local body elections held in three phases in Kerala began at 244 centres across the state on Wednesday at 8am. N. Venugopal, UDF's mayor candidate for Kochi Municipal Corporation, lost for one vote.
The LDF won 5 seats in Varkala, Pala, Ottapalam and Bathery municipalities and the UDF won four seats in Paravur, Mukkam and Kottarakkara municipalities. Kerala Congress (M) won the wards 1, 2, and 3 in the Pala municipality. The LDF is also leading in all the corporations except Kochi.
The third and the final phase of the local body polls concluded in Kerala on Monday in the four northernmost districts, with 78.62 per cent turnout being recorded, according to the State Election Commission. As per latest details issued by the SEC, Kozhikode district recorded the highest turnout with 78.98 per cent, followed by Malappuram (78.86) and Kannur 77.54).
Kasaragod recorded the lowest voter turnout with 77.14 per cent. The second phase of the election held on December 10 for Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Wayanad districts recorded a voting per cent of 76.78 per cent. The first phase for the southernmost districts including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki on December 8 recorded a turnout of 73.12 per cent.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan, senior CPI(M) leader and Polit Bureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Congress leader and former minister Aryadan Mohammed, IUML state president Panakkad Hyderali Shihab Thangal and P. K. Kunhalikutty, MP, were among those who voted in the third phase.
Vijayan later expressed confidence that the ruling Left Democratic Front would achieve an impressive victory in the crucial local body polls, considered a curtain raiser for the Assembly elections due next year.
"The left front is going to achieve an iconic victory in the polls. Those who have voted so far have given us great support," he told reporters in Kannur. The polls were held in the four districts to elect representatives in 6,867 wards in 354 local bodies, including two Corporations and 31 municipalities.
-Inputs from Onmanorama and agencies
