KOCHI: After an uncertain start, cautious cheer took over and then the atmosphere transformed into one of immense jubilation. That was, in a nutshell, the mood at the K Karunakara Bhavan, the Congress party’s Ernakulam district headquarters, on Friday. Uma Thomas, accompanied by Congress district president Mohammed Shiyas and other local leaders, first arrived at the party office around 7am. She then left for the counting centre — the Maharaja’s College auditorium.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan arrived at the party office around 8am, followed by MLAs Roji M John, Anwar Sadath and T Siddique, and MP Dean Kuriakose. The leaders soon joined the party workers watching the election news on television. Palpably anxious, the leaders slowly began to relax after the postal and service votes were counted, with Uma receiving three votes compared to two each for LDF’s Jo Joseph and NDA’s A N Radhakrishnan.
The Congress camp heaved a sigh of relief when reports indicated that Uma was leading after the first round of counting by 2,249. Soon, the mood became celebratory as the Congress candidate grabbed a lead of around 5,000 votes after the second round. Meanwhile, Shiyas joined the team, and party workers started arriving at Karunakara Bhavan. MLAs Shafi Parambil and P C Vishnunath, among others, also came in, even as UMA’s lead rose to 10,000 before the fifth round of counting.
Meanwhile, party workers began raising the slogans ‘Kottayaa... Kottayaa... Congressinte Kottayaa... UDFinte Kottayaa, PTyude Kottayaa! (fortress of Congress, fortress of UDF, fortress of P T), turning the atmosphere electric. By 11.30am, the leaders left for the counting centre to felicitate Uma who emerged victorious with a huge majority of more than 25,000 votes.
The scene was hardly different in front of the north gate of Maharaja’s College, where Congress workers carrying party flags had arrived in the morning. A majority of them climbed on the wall of the nearby general hospital to know the lead status. The movement of ambulances to the hospital was disrupted due to the flow of Congress workers. After meeting the leaders and workers, she left for Maharaja’s once again to collect the certificate from the returning officer, District Collector Jafar Malik.Later, Uma was escorted to Edappally, Palarivattom and Vennala areas in an open vehicle, from which she thanked the voters.