Before entering the local political campaigning, the LDF had made tall claims about not wanting to ally with communal elements— targeting SDPI and BJP. During the polling, there were allegations of SDPI voting for LDF candidates in many locations, and the Congress had made claims about the BJP working with the left groups. However, it wasn’t until now that the extent of those allegations has been proven true.
In Ranni grama panchayat the BJP and LDF worked together to select Kerala Congress’ Shobha Charlie as the President. The LDF and UDF had won five seats each and NDA won two, while an independent candidate won the seat. With the BJP’s two seats, the LDF made a clean win. However, the latest reports indicate that the LDF had claimed that their candidate would resign following widespread criticism.
What was even stranger was another rather interesting choice that seemed to have taken everyone by surprise. In Thiruvananthapuram’s Karavaram panchayat, two SDPI members voted for the BJP presidential candidate, pushing the nine-vote midline of NDA to the 11-vote victory margin. The SDPI candidates’ choice has sparked widespread astonishment and while this would be the biggest, it wasn’t the only one. Moreover, SDPI has also supported the LDF in three different locations, while in Vadakara’s Azhiyoor they were not able to mark a victory.
In Chennithala Thripperuthura of Alappuzha UDF voted for the LDF candidate to ensure that NDA didn’t win. On the other hand, four LDF candidates who won with support from UDF and SDPI resigned following criticism. In Avinnissery and Thiruvandoor, the LDF candidates won thanks to UDF support and in Kottangal and Pangottu, the SDPI played a major role in the left’s victory.