Keralam local body bypolls: UDF retains Kuttichira ward in Kozhikode Corporation
The United Democratic Front (UDF) successfully retained the Kuttichira ward in the Kozhikode Corporation during a recent byelection. The victory comes despite a decrease in voter turnout and allegations of misleading campaigning by the opposition.
Why it matters
Local body elections serve as a barometer for political sentiment and party influence at the grassroots level in Kerala.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) retained the Kuttichira ward in the Kozhikode Corporation in the byelection held on Monday.
However, the majority of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) candidate Farseena Arakkal came down to 436 votes, compared with that of Fathima Thahiliya, who, as the UDF candidate, had secured 2,273 votes more than her Left Democratic Front (LDF) opponent in the 2025 local body polls.
When the results were declared on Tuesday morning, Ms. Arakkal secured 2,711 votes against her LDF rival from the Indian National League, T.T. Jamsheena, who polled 2,275 votes. K. Jeeja of the National Democratic Alliance got just 204 votes. The byelection was necessitated by Ms. Thahiliya’s victory from the Perambra constituency in the May Assembly election.
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