Indicating that the poll-winning spree of the Congress-led ruling UDF in Kerala could be coming to an end in the context of the infamous solar scam and alleged mis-governance, the CPI(M)-led Opposition lDF wrested seven local bodies wards from the ruling front in bypolls held the other day, results of which were announced on Friday.
Also, the bypolls saw the UDF losing power in two gram panchayats, Kodakara in Thrissur district and Anchuthengu in Thiruvananthapuram district. The seven wards the lDF had wrested from the UDF included a municipal council ward in Vaikom and another in a block panchayat, Chambakkulam.
The Congress-led front has not witnessed such losses since it began its poll-winning spree with the lok Sabha elections of 2009 in which it had bagged 16 of the total 20 seats in the State. Since then, it had lost no major election or bypoll. In the October, 2010 local bodies polls, the UDF had reduced left rule into a mere 33 per cent panchayats from the earlier 65 per cent.
While left leaders claimed that the local bodies bypoll results were a reflection of the general mood of the people with respect to the performance of the Government facing serious crises following the solar scam and feuds in the Congress and the coalition it heads, the Congress said issues affecting civic polls were limited to local levels.