2014 Elections Results: UDF maintains edge in Kerala, LDF betters position

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a relief to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the ruling Congress-led UDF maintained edge over the CPI(M)-led LDF winning 12 of the 20 seats in Kerala but failed to match its 2009 tally of 16.

BJP, which made spectacular gains in the northern and western regions of the country, once again failed to open account in ths southern state.

The Congress won eight seats against 13 in 2009 while its allies IUML bagged two and Kerala Congress (M) and RSP one each. LDF, which won four seats last time, doubled its tally by winning eight seats.

The result of Vatakara, where Union Minister Mullapally Ramachandran registered a margin of over 3000 votes against CPI(M) rival A N Shamseer, is yet to be declared due to technical reasons.

The LDF wrested from Congress Kannur, Thrissur, Chalakkudi, and Idukki and also retained all the four seats it bagged in 2009.

BJP leader O Rajagopal was defeated by union minister Shashi Tharoor of the Congress by a margin of 15,470 votes in Thiruvananthapuram where leads fluctuated.

Besides Tharoor, Union Ministers from the state who romped home are K V Thomas (Ernakulam), K C Venugopal (Alappuzha), Kodikunnil Suresh (Mavelikkara) and IUML leader E Ahamed (Malappuram).

CPI(M) suffered a jolt as the party's politburo member and former education Minister M A Baby lost to N K Premachandran of the RSP in Kollam in a keenly fought contest.

Causing fissures in the Left block,the RSP had crossed over to the UDF on the eve of the elections after falling out with the CPI(M) over denial of Kollam seat.

Prominent UDF losers include Congress spokesperson P C Chacko, who was humbled by film actor Innocent at Chalakkudi.

In Palakkad, SJD supremo and former union minister M P Veerendrakumar was defeated by CPI-M's sitting MP M B Rajesh by a margin of over 1,05300 votes.