CHENGANNUR: Crushing the hopes of a Congress-led UDF revival, the LDF recorded an assertive victory in Kerala’s Chengannur bypoll. In a tight triangular contest, CPM candidate Saji Cheriyan won with a thumping majority, leading by 20,956 votes over his nearest rival D Vijayakumar of the Congress.
Despite high-voltage campaigns, BJP candidate P S Sreedharan Pillai was pushed to the third slot. While Cheriyan polled 67,303, Vijayakumar got 46,347 and BJP’s P S Sreedharan Pillai was at a distant third with 35,270 votes. The Left victory has brought in much-needed relief and is a morale booster for the ruling front which was reeling under allegations of police lapses.
The total vote had increased by 6,479 in the bypoll. In 2016, the LDF had polled 52,880 votes with a 7,983 margin; this election, the margin has almost tripled. In the last election, the UDF has 44,897 votes, so it gained 1,450 votes in the bypoll. The BJP took a beating from its last 2016 election count of 42,682 votes; the party has suffered a severe setback with a decrease of 7,412 votes.
The total votes polled in the constituency was 1,51,997. In the 2016 election, the polled votes were 1,45,518. Cheriyan has overtaken the record margin of 15,701 held by Mammen Iype of KC (M) in the 1987 assembly poll. Cheriyan said the voting showed the growing support for the CPM-led LDF and it was a referendum on the two years of the Left Front rule in Kerala. “I have received votes from all sections of the people,” he said.
Steady performance by the LDF
It was a steady performance by the LDF in all the panchayats and the Chengannur Municipality. While Mulakkuzha gave Saji Cheriyan the biggest margin (3,875), Chengannur (621) offered the smallest.
Kerala Congress factor
Saji Cheriyan’s massive win points to the fact that the Kerala Congress factor did not help the United Democratic Front. In fact, local leaders say the party members did not work for the UDF candidate.
BDJS proves a point
The value of the SNDP and BDJS for the NDA is nothing to be sniffed at. With both of them staying aloof from the campaign, the BJP candidate’s vote share was significantly reduced.