By P. Sreekumaran
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has scored a spectacular victory in the Kerala Assembly elections by riding the crest of an electoral tsunami.
Conversely, the CPI(M)-headed Left Democratic Front (LDF) has suffered a shocking defeat. While the UDF is set to win 102 seats, the LDF will emerge winner only in 35 constituencies, its tally plummeting down from 99 in the last Assembly to 35.
As for the BJP, the party has stunned both the LDF and the UDF by winning three seats – Chattanur, where its candidate BB Gopakumar won defeating the CPI candidate Rajendran. The party also won Nemom from where BJP state president Rajiv Chandrashekhar contested. The party added one more seat to its tally when its candidate V. Muralidharan, former BJP state chief, won from Kazhakkoottam. However, the BJP lost three of its strongholds – Palakkad, Manjeswaram and Thrissur.
The LDF has been stunned into disbelief by the scale of its loss. The Front has suffered losses in almost all districts, including Kannur, its stronghold. Particularly devastating is the party’s loss to CPI(M) dissidents in Payyannur and Taliparamba. As many as 12 ministers in the outgoing Pinarayi Cabinet are losing. The Chief Minister himself had to spend many anxious moments before emerging the winner from Dharmadom. The CM was trailing till six rounds of counting. Only in the seventh round, did he manage to forge ahead and win. His victory margin has also come down drastically.
The Congress, understandably, is on cloud nine. It not only won its sitting seats but also succeeded in wresting many a CPI(M)’s seats across the State. Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan won handsomely from Paravur.
A notable feature of the results is that while UDF candidates won with huge margins, LDF nominees won only with thin margins, but for a few exceptions.
Now that the Congress has staged a comeback, the party and the front led by it must focus on the job ahead. Most important, the UDF must ensure smooth selection of the Chief Minister. The unseemly spectacle of tussle for the CM’s post in the Congress even before the results were announced had damaged its reputation. It must avoid a repeat performance, and stop indulging in petty and internecine infighting.
The BJP is in a jubilant mood, having won three seats. But if the party had won more seats it could have resulted in a hung assembly. But the UDF’s brute majority has averted that possibility. The party failed to put up a better show because it has failed to attract a big share of the anti-LDF votes. UDF managed to bag bulk of the anti-LDF votes.
As for the CPI(M) and the LDF, the task is cut out. It is time for serious introspection. The party must quickly identify the humiliating losses in its strongholds and take speedy corrective steps. One of the factors that led to the LDF debacle was the consolidation of minority votes in UDF’s favour. Also, the arrogance and overconfidence of LDF leaders also did the front in. The Front leaders would do well to cultivate greater humility in their dealings with the people. The time to act is now. True, one swallow does not make a summer. But the CPI(M) and the LDF must buckle down to the arduous task of pulling up their socks. (IPA Service)
