UDF wins Ayyappankkavu as Kerala local bypoll counting begins
Counting has begun for byelections in 38 local-government wards across 12 districts in Kerala, in what is being seen as the first major electoral test for the Congress-led UDF government after its 2026 Assembly victory. The UDF retained Ayyappankkavu in Kochi through candidate Ajith Kumar A.K.
Counting has begun for byelections in 38 local-government wards across 12 districts in Kerala, with the results viewed as an early electoral test for the Congress-led United Democratic Front government. The votes were counted from 10 a.m. on Tuesday after polling was held on September 28.
The elections recorded a turnout of 58.81 per cent, with 182,160 voters casting ballots. Women accounted for 98,090 of the votes and men for 84,070. A total of 126 candidates contested the 38 wards, which included two corporation wards, three municipality wards, three district panchayat wards, seven block panchayat wards and 23 grama panchayat wards.
The bypolls were being watched as a contest between the UDF and the opposition Left Democratic Front, with the Bharatiya Janata Party also seeking gains in selected areas. The vote follows the UDF’s strong mandate in the 2026 Assembly polls. The UDF retained the Ayyappankkavu ward in Kochi, where Ajith Kumar A.K.
won his first contest. The result extended the alliance’s strength in the 76-member corporation council. The results are being released across multiple counting centres.
The available report did not provide a complete statewide tally or results from the other wards. The contests involve local bodies across Kerala’s districts and could offer political parties an indication of voter sentiment after the Assembly election. Further results were expected as counting continued.
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