Candidates of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) had never had an upper hand in Kozhikode district at any stage of the counting of votes for the Assembly polls on Monday (May 4). As the final results were announced by the evening, the LDF presence was reduced to Beypore alone, from where Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas managed to win.

This was nothing short of a big shake-up and role reversal as the ruling front had won 11 of the 13 constituencies in the district in 2021. The UDF, however, staged a big comeback this time by winning 12 of them. The Congress, which had not won any seat from the district after 2001, also managed to romp home with five seats in total. The district could send the Indian Union Muslim League’s (IUML) first woman legislator, Fathima Thahiliya, to the Assembly too. The IUML won six seats, up from the one seat (Koduvally) they had secured last time.