The ruling LDF party gained the upper hand in most of the local bodies in the state even after being hit by numerous controversies in the second half of 2020, clearly marking their strength in the upcoming assembly elections.
While people poured into the streets clad in red clothing or covered in masks displaying the red sickle to celebrate the ruling party's win in local body polls, LDF leaders responded with gratitude.
CPM national party head, Sitaram Yechury congratulated the people of Kerala for "giving the Left Democratic Front in Kerala a big victory" in the polls.
After winning a big majority in all three tiers of the panchayats, and leading in 11 out of the 14 district panchayats, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan broke his silence.
Taking to Twitter, the CM thanked Kerala and wrote, "Thank you for reposing faith in LDF. We are humbled by the trust and the confidence of the people of Kerala. This is a victory for secularism and inclusive development," and extended greetings to the elected representatives.
While addressing the public, the Pinarayi Vijayan said, "Keralites have responded appropriately to all those anti social elements who perpetrated lie campaigns against the left government."
He added that the LDF's "victory belongs to the people."
"The election showed that the UDF has become irrelevant in the politics of Kerala," the Chief Minister said.
He said that the election has also highlighted that there is no place in Kerala politics for discrimination.
Kerala's Health Minister, who made waves on a global scale for her efficient handling of back to back crises' -- Nipah, the floods, and now the COVID-19 pandemic -- said that she was confident that people would back them.
She added, "The Left government and the CM were attacked from all fronts, but we stayed with the people. We carried on with developmental activities necessary for the people amid all these attacks. Hence, we believed that people wouldn't give up on us."
Meanwhile the state recorded 5,218 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday taking the tally to 57,757 active cases.
Many covid protocol violations were reported throughout Kerala amid extensive campaigning by the parties in the fray for local body polls.