LDF sweeps Kerala

Dealing a big blow to the UDF, the CPI-M-led LDF on Thursday swept to power in Kerala winning 98 seats in the 140-member Assembly.

As the leading partner, the CPI-M bagged 61 of the 84 seats it contested.

CPI secured 17 seats, JD-S - five, Kerala Congress - four, RSP - three, Congress-S, NCP and Kerala Congress secular and INL one each, while LDF independents won four seats.

The UDF, which came to power last time with 99 seats could only manage 42 seats.

The Congress tally dropped to 24 from 62 seats while that of its major ally, the Indian Union Muslim League, fell sharply to seven from the 17 it secured in 2001.

Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly and CPI-M Politburo member V S Achuthanandan said on Thursday the results of the Assembly elections had clearly reflected the sentiments of the people against the 'anti-people policies' of the Congress-led United Democratic Front government headed by Mr Oommen Chandy.

Talking to mediapersons in Palakkad, he said the CPI-M-led LDF, which won the elections, would present a clean administration.

Replying to a question, Mr Achuthanandan said it was for the party to decide the chief minister.

Mr Achuthanandan was re-elected from Malampuzha defeating his Congress-UDF rival Satheesan Pacheni by a margin of 20,017 votes. Chief minister Oommen Chandy also won from his home constituency Puthuppally in Kottayam.

DIC-K led by K Karunakaran is trailing in all the seats it contested.

K Muraleedharan has been defeated by over 7000 votes by LDF independent PTA Rahim in Koduvally in Kozhikode district. Son of senior leader Karunakaran, Muraleedharan is the DIC-K state president.

In a major upset, agriculture minister K R Gowri of JSS, one of the seniormost politicians of the state, has been defeated in her home turf of Aroor in Alappuzha district.  She lost to CPI-M debutant A M Arif by a margin of 4,753 votes.

Once a firebrand CPI-M leader, Gowri had won the seat 11 times. She parted ways with the CPI-M about a decade ago and floated the Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samiti and joined the UDF as partner.

In a big loss for the IUML in its heartland Malappuram, the party leader P K Kunhalikutty was defeated by LDF independent K T Jaleel by a margin of 8,781 votes in Kuttipuram.

A former industries minister, Kunhalikutty had to resign from the UDF cabinet after coming under a cloud in connection with an alleged sex scandal.

His opponent Jaleel was a former youth league leader, who was suspended from the party, for revolting against the party leadership.

Here are a few other results:

K V Thomas (Cong) was declared elected from Ernakulam constituency defeating his nearest rival M M Lawrence (CPI-M) by a margin of 5,800 votes. UDF retains the seat. 

Co-operation minister and CMP leader M V Raghavan has been defeated in the Punalur assembly segment in Kollam district.

Former Speaker M Vijayakumar (CPI-M) declared elected from trivandrum north constituency defeating his nearest rival K Mohan Kumar (Cong) by a margin of 9,724 votes.

In Meppayoor, K K Lathika of CPI-M defeated her nearest rival T P Ismail (IUML) by a margin of 15,870 votes.

A C Moideen (CPI-M) defeated his nearest rival Chandramohan of DIC-K by a margin of 20,831 votes.

V S Sunilkumar of CPI defeated his nearest rival M K Kannan of CMP by a margin of 14,604 votes.

P K Sreemathi and M Vijayakumar (both CPI-M) have won from Payanoor and Thiruvanathapuram North respectively.

K Sudhakaran (Cong) was declared elected from Kannur constituency defeating his nearest rival K P Sahadevan (CPI-M) by a margin of 8,613 votes. UDF retains the seat. 

Sivadasan Nair (Cong) was declared elected from Pathanamthitta constituency defeating his nearest rival V K Purushothaman (CPI-M) by a margin of 1,225 votes.

LDF convener Paloli Mohammed Kutty (CPI-M) was declared elected from Ponnani constituency defeating his nearest rival M P Gangadharan (DIC-K) by a margin of 28,347 votes. LDF wrests seat from UDF.

T P Kunjunni (CPI-M) was declared elected from Thrithala constituency defeating his nearest rival P Balan (Cong) by a margin of 6,959 votes. LDF retains the seat.

K C Venugopal (Cong) was declared elected from Alappuzha constituency defeating his nearest rival T J anjalose (CPI) by a margin of 16,933 votes. UDF retains the seat.

Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan (Cong) was declared elected from Adoor defeating his nearest rival D K John (KC-J) by a margin of 18,464 votes.