THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though the Opposition UDF and BJP had tried to whip up the Sabarimala issue ahead of the assembly polls after a brief lull with an eye of vote bank and the issue was stirred up by the NSS chief Sukumaran Nair on the day of polling saying that Sabarimala curse will ensure the government does not get a second term, it seems the Lord Ayyappa and all other deities are with the Left Democratic Front, as claimed by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, when the elections results are out.
Although Konni was the cynosure of all the eyes, the election results revealed that in around nine temple towns or constituencies in the state the LDF scripted a thumping victory despite many of these seats being considered as the citadel of the opposition parties. The ruling CPM which won the bypoll Konni where the hill shrine is located after a gap of 23 years, retained the seat with a majority of 8508 votes pushing the BJP to third place, which was hoping to win the seat capitalizing on the Sabarimala issue.
Thrissur where the famed Vadakkunaha Temple is located also supported CPI candidate P Balachandran despite the internal assessment of the party assessing that it may lose the seat. Thrissur which was the stronghold of the Congress was wrested by V S Sunilkumar of CPI last term. However, the candidature of Suresh Gopi and Congress candidate PadmajaVenugopal has raised the stakes in the constituency spinning the contest in the constituency to a triangular fight. But finally CPI emerged with flying colours pushing the BJP to third position.
Thiruvananthapuram where world’s one of the richest temples of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is situated witnessed the LDF wresting the seat from Congress candidate and former health minister V S Sivakumar after a long gap. The BJP came third at Thiruvananthapuram too. In Guruvayur, where one of the most famous Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple of India is situated, the LDF defeated the UDF candidate KNA Khader, despite BJP candidate Suresh Gopi expressing his wish to see Khader winning the seat in public.
The case is not different with other temple towns like Vaikom where the centuries-old Vaikom Mahadeva temple is situated, Irinjalakuda, where the Lord Bharata temple is situated, the major attraction of the Nalambala pilgrimage, Ettumanoor, where the famous Lord Shiva Temples situated, Amabalapuzha, where the famed Sri Krishna Temple is situated and Kodungalloor where the popular Sri Kurumba Bhagavathy Temple is situated, supported the Left candidates.
Commenting on this, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said “there was pro LDF feeling across the state ahead of the polls and it cannot be altered by whipping up the Sabarimala issue, which was substantiated by the poll outcome. The people in the state voted for the LDF based on their experience and that is why the remarks of NSS chief didn’t make any impact,” he said.