Left Front returns in Kerala; dethrones Congress-led UDF

19 May, Thiruvananthapuram

The LDF in Kerala, has pushed the ruling UDF out of power by bagging 85 of the 140-seats. The UDF could bag only 46 seats. BJP has opened its account in the state by winning one seat. Eight results have gone in favour of others.

BJP senior leader and former Union Minister O. Rajagopal has won the Nemom seat by a margin of over 8,000 votes. He defeated his nearest rival and CPI(M) sitting MLA V. Sivankutty.

The prominent winners include Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, CPI(M) veteran and Opposition leader V. S. Achuthanandan, Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan, Ministers Ramesh Chennithala and V. S. Sivakumar.

Among the notable losers are Speaker N.Sakthan, Ministers K. Babu, Shibu Baby John, K.P. Mohanan, former cricketer S.Sreesanth and P.K. Jayalakshmi.

Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan has termed the LDF victory as a fitting reply to the decaying politics of the UDF.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said that the election result is an unexpected setback to the party.