Voter wrath drowns only Left regime in Kerala, UDF triumphs after 10 years

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is back in power in Kerala after a gap of 10 years, extending its impressive performance recorded in the local body polls in December, last year. The UDF won 102 seats in the 140-member assembly, leaving Pinarayi Vijayan’s LDF badly bruised, and unseating the only Left government in the country.

The impact of the UDF surge was so severe that Vijayan himself survived the political hurricane in the safest seat of Dharmadam in Kannur district, trailing in the first six rounds of counting. People voted down many of his Cabinet colleagues. Ministers KN Balagopal and PA Mohammad Riyas, however, survived the voter wrath.

While the Left settled for 35 seats or a fourth of the total assembly seats, the BJP turned in an impressive show by bagging three seats from zero earlier. The party hauled Nemom and Kazhakuttom in Thiruvananthapuram and Chathannoor in Kollam district, though the party, through its aggressive campaigning, aimed for a double-digit score and put up a strong fight in six seats. The BJP had pinned hopes on Palakkad and Manjeshwar, but the UDF triumphed here too.


UDF’s largest partner IUML won 22 seats, which included its woman candidate Fathima Thahiliya. The 34-year-old advocate won from Kozhikode district, defeating Left heavyweight TP Ramakrishnan. She also emerged as the first lawmaker from IUML.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while thanking the voters, promised support from the Centre for Kerala's developmental aspirations. "We will keep raising issues vital to Keralam’s progress and work hard to realise the vision of a Vikasita Keralam," he said.