Kerala votes for change, backs UDF
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) on Monday made a decisive victory in Kerala by winning 102 seats in the 140-seat Assembly. The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic (LDF), which was ruling the State for the past 10 years, was reduced to 35 seats. Meanwhile, the BJP won three seats in the State. The UDF’s major constituents, the Congress and the Muslim League, won 63 and 22 seats respectively.
“Thank you to my brothers and sisters in Keralam for a truly decisive mandate. Congratulations to every UDF leader and worker for a hard-fought, well-run campaign.
As I said before, Keralam has the talent, Keralam has the potential and now Keralam has a UDF Government with a vision to harness both. I look forward to seeing my Keralam family soon,” Rahul Gandhi wrote in a post on X.
The LDF’s major constituent, CPI(M) got only 26 seats while the CPI won only eight seats. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan too faced a tough fight in his hometown, trailing in the first six rounds. The CPI(M) faced route in this fortress Kannur and Kozhikode districts and lost to many rebel candidates, tragically fielded by UDF. Among incumbent ministers who lost the election were Veena George, MB Rajesh, OR Kelu, R Bindhu, J Chinchurani, P Rajeev, KB Ganesh Kumar, VN Vasavan, V Sivankutty, V Abdurahiman, Kadakamppally Ramachandran, AK Saseendran and Roshy Augustine.
The CPI(M) described its rout as a “serious setback” for the Left, particularly in Kerala, while warning that the growing footprint of the BJP across States poses a wider challenge to secular politics and the Opposition’s INDIA bloc. The party said the results in West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry reflect the “ascendancy of right-wing communal forces led by the BJP,” which it termed “a matter of deep concern for all secular, progressive and democratic forces.”
Addressing a press conference, CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby said the results underline “two major features”: the defeat of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala after 10 years in power and the BJP’s strengthening position in States like West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry. “The LDF was defeated in Kerala after ten years of continuous rule, during which it had done its best for the welfare of the people despite financial constraints imposed by the BJP-led Union Government,” he said, adding that the party would undertake a “comprehensive introspection” to assess the reasons behind the reversal.
The BJP won three seats, including those contested by former Union ministers Rajeev Chandrasekhar and V Muraleedharan. The two — in Nemom and Kazhakoottam — are in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation area, where the BJP has a significant presence. The third seat, Chathannoor, is in Kollam district and was won by BB Gopakumar.
UDF has already asked Congress to decide the Chief Minister, leaving to emergence of three names - Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, who has not contested in Assembly elections. In the coming days, the High Command will decide the Chief Minister, said Congress leaders.
