UDF wave hits Kerala; Left strongholds crumble, BJP wins three seats

The Congress-led UDF registered a massive victory in the Kerala Assembly elections, winning 102 seats in the 140-member house. The CPM-led LDF, which expected to return to power in the state, won only 35 seats.

Hoping to emerge as a major political force in the state, the BJP captured only three seats.

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Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself trailed during the first six rounds of counting. He later caught up and ultimately won in the Dharmadam seat.

In the political storm that swept from the south to the north of Kerala, the red strongholds — including Taliparamba, Payyannur, Uduma and Thrikaripur — which had stood undisturbed for five decades, collapsed and were left in ruins.

Many key ministers in the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet, Veena George, M B Rajesh, O R Kelu, R Bindhu, J Chinchurani, P Rajeev, K B Ganesh Kumar, V N Vasavan, V Sivankutty, V Abdurahiman, A K Saseendran, and Roshy Augustine, lost their seats in the sweeping UDF victory. Among the ministers, only Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, K N Balagopal, Saji Cherian, Muhammad Riyaz, P Prasad, G R Anil, and K Rajan won.

CPM central committee member K K Shailaja, who contested against KPCC president Sunny Joseph in Peravoor, also lost. The LDF disappeared from Idukki, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Malappuram and Wayanad districts. LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan surrendered to Muslim League’s Fathima Tahilia in Perambra. With this, for the first time in history, the Muslim League has female representation in the assembly.

The BJP, which had regained Nemom, hoisted the saffron flag for the first time in history in the Chathannur and Kazhakoottam seats. Party’s state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar and former Union Minister V Muraleedharan won the Nemom and Kazhakkootam constituencies respectively

The Congress had its best performance in recent times with 64 seats and the Muslim League had its biggest gain in its history with 22 seats. While the Kerala Congress (Mani) faction was not able to win any seat, Kerala Congress (Joseph) emerged as the best-performing party, contesting eight seats and winning seven. The CPI was reduced from 17 to nine.
UDF’s winning candidates include Chandi Oomen, son of former chief minister Oomen Chandy, who won from his father’s bastion Puthuppally with a majority of 52,907, Congress leader Ramesh Chhennithala who won the Haripad seat by a margin of 23,377 votes

It is significant that the CPM rebels have won from the party strongholds: G. Sudhakaran in Ambalappuzha, V. Kunjikrishnan in Payyannur and T.K. Govindan contested as a UDF-supported independent in Taliparambi and won.

CPM Kerala secretary M V Govindan said on Monday that the LDF would examine the reasons behind its defeat in the Assembly elections and take corrective measures.
Speaking to reporters here after the election verdict, Govindan said every aspect that led to the defeat would be analysed.