KS Sabainendan, Akkasa, R. Ladabadev or EM Augusty. | Photo credit: SPELY ARTERNENT
Four of the five former MLAs who contested the local body elections won.
The winners are Ks Sabarinadhan of the Congress who won the thirvananthapuram corporation koodra ward; Anil Akkara, Congress candidate in Sanskrit College Ward adat grumma panchayat in thrissur; R. Lathadevi of Communist Party of India (CPI) in cha dayamalam division of Kollam District Panchayat; and KC Rajagopalan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), who won the Maramon mezhuvelli grama panchayat ward. Congress em Augustha was defended by cr mulali CPI(M) in iPathekkar ward of Kattappana municipality in Idukki.
Tally doubled
Mr. Sabarinadhan, who was the mayoral face of the United Democratic Front (UDF), said the front could make significant gains as it had almost doubled its tally in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation compared to its result in the 2020 polls. He said people wanted to remove the Left Front, which had been in power in the civic body for long. Mr. Sabarinadhan, who was elected from the Aruvikkara Assembly constituency in Thiruvananthapuram in 2015, said the verdict also showed that the Congress continued to have a strong base in the civic body.
Mr. Akkara, who represented the Wadakkanchery Assembly constituency in Thrissur district in 2016, termed his victory as the second innings in his political career. He said the people’s verdict was a fitting response to the false narrative created against him by the Left Front. Mr. Akkara, who is likely to be the frontrunner for the post of Adat grama panchayat president, said the UDF would come up with plans to ensure overall development of the local body.
Ms. Lathadevi, who was MLA in Chadayamangalam in 1996, said she would use her expertise as a former legislator to address the issues faced by people in her division.
Mr. Rajagopalan, who won the Aranmula Assembly seat in Pathanamthitta in 2006, said he saw the victory as recognition of the people of his ward. He said the Left Front was hoping for a better result in the panchayat but it was influenced by the state-wide dominance of the UDF in these polls.
He will leave politics
Mr. Augusthy, a three-time lawmaker, said in a Facebook post that he was retiring from active politics after the defeat. He said he would no longer be on stage but would remain in the audience. He said it was time to end his political journey that spanned more than five decades.
Published – 13 Dec 2025 20:56 IST
