Establishing clear supremacy in rural and urban areas, Congress-led Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) shocked the ruling LDF in Kerala by clinching the maximum number of seats in the three-tier panchayats and urban bodies in the civic elections.

The LDF suffered a heavy blow in gram panchayats in all districts, where they had held sway for past several decades.

Of the total of 978 gram panchayats, UDF won a majority in 537, while the LDF could manage only 348, with results from Kozhikode district awaited.

The UDF win is significant as it is the first time that the Front is extending support base to village institutions.

The Front also won 32 municipalities while LDF was far behind with only 14. Eleven municipalities have hung councils, where Independents and BJP will decide who should rule.

One of the major upsets for LDF was the loss of the prestigious Kochi corporation, which it had ruled for the past three decades and in Thrissur, where it was almost washed out.

The only solace for the ruling Front was the wafer-thin majority it got in Thiruvananthapuram and the moderate win in Kollam corporation.

It was virtually a clean sweep for UDF in the districts of Wayanad, Malappuram, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kottayam and Idukki in all local bodies. The LDF could retain their hold only in Kannur, Alappuzha and to a certain extent in Palakkad.

The UDF also won in municipalities of Kalpetta (Wayanad), Trippunithura (Ernakulam), Chittur, Thathamangalam (Palakkad), Varkala and Neyyattinkara (Thiruvananthapuram), where the LDF was ruling for decades.

In the traditional Left bastion of Kannur also, UDF improved their position in municipalities bagging more number of seats, while retaining Kannur municipality.

The third force in Kerala, BJP, also improved their performance across the state, winning in more number of seats fighting the two Fronts. Notably, they won six wards in the state capital and two each in Kochi and Thrissur corporations

The newly formed Social Democratic Party of India, the political arm of Popular Front, opened their account in four municipalities, one block panchayat and seven gram panchayats winning 12 seats, while PDP of Abdul Nasser Madani won only one ward in a grama panchayat in Kollam.

The final results will be known after declaration of results in Kozhikode on October 31.

The new councils will take charge on November 1, the 54th formation day of Kerala.