THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Continuing its winning streak in Kerala that began with last Lok Sabha polls, the CPI(M)-led LDF on Tuesday put up an impressive performance in the local body elections, handing down a crushing defeat to ruling Congress-led UDF.

In the elections eight months ahead of the assembly polls, the LDF in a tie-up with DIC(K), led former Congress veteran by K Karunakaran, made a clean sweep of all five city corporations and gained control of 30 of the 52 municipalities.

As results poured in from village, block and district panchayats, the LDF is maintaining its supremacy in all but one district. The UDF, however, arrested the LDF surge in Muslim League-dominated Malappuram district to an extent.

The BJP, which fought alone in around 12,000 seats, made some surprising gains in some pockets in Palakkad, Thrissur and Kasaragod districts.

In Palakkad municipality, the saffron party emerged as the single largest block, winning 17 seats, marginally ahead of the numbers secured by LDF and UDF. While LDF retained power in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kochi and Kozhikode corporations, it wrested Thrissur corporation from the UDF.

Reacting to the results, Karunakaran said the fall of UDF was the result of Congress High Command’s neglecting his repeated warnings. CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said UDF had lost the moral right to continue in power.

KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala said the results could not be construed as a verdict against the government.

—By arrangement with the Omantribune.