THRISSUR: Although there is a significant difference in the number of seats won by LDF and UDF in assembly elections in Thrissur district, the difference in their vote share is a meager 0.11%. LDF won nine out of the total 13 seats while UDF bagged the remaining four. But in terms of vote share, LDF’s figure is 40.32% while that of UDF is 40.22%. The difference is not significant in absolute numbers either, with the LDF polling 7,99,449 votes of the total 19,82,752 votes and the UDF bagging 7,97,391, according to the data collated by the NGO Open Data Kerala Community.Thrissur became a significant presence in the nationallevel antenna of BJP with the party winning its first Lok Sabha seat in the state through Suresh Gopi in 2024. However, NDA’s vote share in the district is only 17.94% even now and the total votes polled by the alliance is 3,55,757. This figure shows a marginal increase compared with the NDA tally of 3,30,452 in 2021 but even this increase has to be viewed in the backdrop of the fact that the BJP did not have a candidate in Guruvayur in the last elections.Also, NDA’s vote share has drastically come down compared with the figures in the last Parliament elections. BJP had polled 5,55,007 votes back then and 3,55,757 votes in the assembly elections.Despite fielding Congress turncoat Padmaja Venugopal, BJP’s votes in Thrissur came down from 40,457 in 2021 assembly polls to 28,622 votes this time. Interestingly Gopi was the BJP candidate against Padmaja back in 2021. However, the party improved its vote tally in assembly segments such as Nattika, Chalakudy, Chelakkara and Manalur while suffered a dip in Irinjalakuda, Pudukkad and Ollur.CPM district secretary KV Abdul Khader said the LDF could hold its ground in Thrissur even amid the massive setback in other parts of the state. Systematic organizational work and the remarkable job done by LDF MLAs in their respective constituencies during their last term are among the factors behind the victory of the front’s nominees in the district, he said.DCC president Joseph Tajet said UDF could improve its tally from one to four in this assembly polls. He said the defeats in Manalur, Guruvayur and Pudukkad were only by narrow margins. More importantly, the front is also elated that it could check the growth of BJP in the district, which was considered as an emerging saffron stronghold until recently.“In the last Lok Sabha elections, Congress was in third place in 10 assembly segments in the district and BJP occupied the first place there. However, BJP has been relegated to third place in all the 13 assembly seats in the district in this election,” Tajet said.BJP city district president Justin Jacob said the party has improved its tally in constituencies such as Nattika, Manalur and suffered setbacks in segments like Thrissur, Ollur and Pudukkad. BJP will examine the reasons for the setback and take steps to strengthen the party, he said.
