Eight ‘MLA wards’ gain attention as local body bypolls near in Keralam

Of the 38 local body wards going to the bypolls on September 28 in Keralam, eight could be politically crucial as these wards fell vacant following the election of their incumbent representatives to the State Assembly.

Though the outcome of the interim polls will not have any impact on the existing political equations in the eight respective local bodies, they could be interpreted as a sign of the people’s response to the four-month-old United Democratic Front (UDF) government in the State.

All but one of the eight wards were held by the UDF, and a drop in the number could be embarrassing for the ruling front that won the State elections by a landslide with 102 seats in the 140-seat Assembly.