AIADMK general secretary and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Saturday thanked the voters of Kerala for electing six of her party cadres to various local bodies in that State. The party won in six wards in three panchayats.

The victory in Kerala marked a new era in the history of the AIADMK and will form the base for its future victories, she said in a statement here.

Coming after the victories in Andaman and Nicobar in September, it added pride to the party, she said, congratulating Local Administration Minister S.P. Velumani, who was in-charge of the Kerala local body elections.

According to G.R. Ponnusamy, AIADMK deputy secretary in Kerala, Helen Amalorpava Mary won in Ward 3 and J. Sri Ranjani won in Ward 7 in the Kozhinjampara Panchayat. M. Saraswathy won a seat in the Eruthempathy Panchayat. The only losing candidate was Ravi, who contested in Ward 14 of the Nalleppilly Panchayat – all in Palakkad district. Ravi, who had joined the party leaving the CPI (M) lost the contest to a former party colleague.

Mr. Ponnusamy said that the party’s candidates also won three more seats in Idukki district abutting Theni in Tamil Nadu. “This is the first time AIADMK has won in Kerala,” he said.

The winning candidates along with the party office-bearers would be meeting Ms. Jayalalithaa at the Coimbatore airport on Sunday , Mr. Ponnusamy said.