Even Congress’s core vote bank Muslims have started questioning the party for its below expected performance in the local body by-elections in the state.
Four months into power, Congress in Kerala in very recently concluded by-election to the local body polls did not perform as per expectations even showing a sharp decline from its assembly poll outcome. The grand old party that leads the UDF alliance in the state seems to have lost the momentum it had gained during the assembly polls & could only muster to win 19 out of 38 local body seats for which by-polls were held. The UDF won 22 in last local body polls. Even margin of victories was also very thin this time amply revealing that the euphoria that was generated with victory of Congress in assembly polls have died down, which evidently is seen in the verdict.
Even the core votebank of Congress that played a decisive role in party’s thumping victory in assembly polls have started questioning its governance.
Samastha Kerala Jem-Iyyathul Ulama, one of key muslim organisation that play a significiant role in keralam politics has termed the local body poll verdict as a “democratic warning” for Congress.
Calling for a serious introspection, the mouthpiece of Samastha Kerala Jem-Iyyathul Ulama – Suprabhatam daily said it was first test of the Congress government in the state and its outcome cannot be dismissed.
The mouthpiece reminded the ruling UDF that the people’s mandate was not a permanent thing and their confidence in the government must be renewed through good and transparent governance.
Interestingly, UDF even lost in some seats which were vacated by some of its newly elected legislators amply revealing weakening grip of the alliance in the state. Even those won had a reduced victory margins. Kuttichara ward of the Kozhikode Corporation is the classical case. IUML barely managed to win this ward, which was previously with Fathima Tahaliya, now a league’s MLA. A IUML stronghold this ward was won by the league by margin of 2,200 votes last local bodies polls but this time it has won this ward by a very thin margin of 436 votes.
Though for the Left Democratic Front, the local bodies by-poll came as a solace. It snatched seven UDF held wards, which came as relief for the communists after the assembly poll debacle. Here it is noteworthy that the state 38 wards, which saw the by-polls were spread across 12 districts of Keralam.
