Kerala: Setback for ruling Left in local body polls

Thiruvananthapuram:  With just six months left for Assembly polls in Kerala, the ruling Left Democratic Front has received a setback in the local body polls in urban areas.

The opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won two out of the four city corporations to which results were declared and it is currently leading in majority of the municipalities.

In 2005, the Left Front had swept all the city corporations. This time, however, the UDF wrested the prestigious Kochi Corporation from the Left Democratic Front (LDF) after a gap of 30 years and also won the Thrissur Corporation.

In Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam Corporations, both fronts are engaged in a neck-and-neck race.

The election result of the crucial Kozhikode corporation will be announced on October 31.

However, in village panchayats, considered to be traditional Left strongholds, the Left Front continued to maintain an upper hand.