Latest revision as of 20:39, 27 November 2020

[edit] 2014: the victorious candidates

Kerala 2014

[edit] 2009, 2014

Chandy beats incumbency, gives Cong a face-saver

Thiruvananthapuram:

TEAM TOI The Times of India May 17 2014

Kerala 2014

Despite anti-incumbency and negative political fallout from sundry scams, the Congres-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won 12 out of 20 seats in Kerala, making good on CM Oommen Chandy’s pre-poll boast but one that lost much of its sheen in the wake of the party’s worstever performance in the rest of the country.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) improved its dismal 2009 performance by bagging eight seats this time, but it is unlikely to be of much consolation for CPM as it is in danger of losing its ‘national party’ tag for having failed to get the requisite number of seats in at least two other states. Even more damning for the party has been the trouncing of its politburo member M A Baby in Kollam by ally-turned-adversary N K Premachandran of the RSP in a heavyweight contest.

In what would have otherwise been the story of the day from Kerala, BJP veteran O Rajagopal came tantalisingly close to defeating Shashi Tharoor in the prestigious Thiru

vananthapuram constituency and provide his party with its first-ever parliamentary or assembly seat in the state.

But the final rounds of counting turned the tide in Tharoor’s favour. He eventually won by 15,470 votes.

Kerala’s traditional tendency to buck the national trend was carried to an extreme this time with six min isters in the UPA 2 government — five from the Congres and one from its ally Muslim League — winning by comfortable margins. Finally, the CPM, which drew much flak for its decision to field five independent candidates this time in key constituencies, was partially vindicated with three of them managing to win.

[edit] 2019

[edit] Congress wins

May 24, 2019: The Times of India

Constituencies won by the main political parties in the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 and 2019
From: May 24, 2019: The Times of India

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) swept the Lok Sabha polls in Kerala, winning 19 of the state’s 20 seats. Not only this, 10 of its candidates won with a margin of at least one lakh votes. The CPMled LDF, meanwhile, managed to secure only one seat.

In 2014, the UDF had won 12 seats while the LDF had won eight.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who picked Wayanad as his second seat after Amethi, won by a margin of 4.3 lakh votes, the highest in Kerala’s history. Indian Union Muslim League leader PK Kunhalikutty also broke a record with a victory margin of 2.6 lakh votes in Malappuram.

While Congress leader Shashi Tharoor won a third term from Thiruvananthapuram with a margin of over one lakh votes, other winners include 32-year-old Ramya Haridas, who is only the second dalit woman leader to represent Kerala in the Lok Sabha, and former MP K Muraleedharan. CPM’s solace was its Alappuzha candidate AM Ariff, who defeated UDF’s Shanimol Usman by 9,000 votes. The NDA failed to open its account this time too though BJP candidates put up a brave fight in Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur. The UDF wave was first acknowledged by CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who termed the party’s defeat ‘unexpected’. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan added that the ‘anti-BJP campaign’ nurtured by CPM had worked to Congress’ advantage.

A range of factors — from displeasure with the Modi government to the arrogant style adopted by Vijayan — proved beneficial for Congress, which registered its best result after 1977.

Rahul’s candidacy helped the UDF consolidate minority voters across the state. The handling of the Sabarimala verdict by the state government alienated scores of traditional Hindu voters who had earlier voted for the LDF. Most Hindu, Christian and Muslim votes went to UDF candidates.

Several sitting MPs — MB Rajesh, PK Biju, Innocent, Joice George and A Sampath — lost. Sitting Rajya Sabha MPs Alphons Kannanthanam and Suresh Gopi, who contested on a BJP ticket, were also defeated. Only four of the nine sitting MLAs who contested won.

The state will soon hold bypolls in six constituencies, including Manjeswaram where BJP’s K Surendran had lost by a margin of merely 89 votes.