THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Riding on a strong anti-incumbency wave, LDF won 91 seats in the 140 member Kerala Assembly.
A resurgent BJP opened its account for the first time in the state with former Union Minister O Rajagopal winning Nemom Assemlby segment in the capital by a margin of over 8,000 votes. The Congress-led UDF could maintain its in only 46 constituencies.
In a shocker for the UDF, four Ministers – K Babu, Shibu Baby John, P K Jayalakshmi – as well as Speaker N Sakthan and Deputy Speaker Palode Ravi lost the election. The BJP-led NDA emerged second in over seven constituencies.
Re-counting will be held in Manjeshwar constituency in Kasaragod after K Surendran of the BJP lost to P B Abdul Razak of UDF by a narrow margin of 89 votes. “It is a victory of the people against corruption and misrule of the UDF government,” CPM Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan, who is tipped to become the Chief Minister, said.
“We accept the people's verdict. This (election result) is an unexpected backlash,” Chief Minster Oommen Chandy, who won from Puthuppally constituency said. “The Congress and the UDF will examine the reasons for the defeat,” he added.