Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said the results of the Assembly by-elections demonstrate continued public support for the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and confirm its legitimacy and approval. Hours after the results of the bypolls held for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat and two Assembly constituencies were announced, he said the people of Chelakkara had delivered a resounding victory to the LDF, undeterred by organised propaganda and political attacks. "The Assembly by-election results have further solidified public support for and recognition of the LDF government, with the people of Chelakkara constituency delivering a decisive victory to the Left Democratic Front, despite organised propaganda and attacks," he said in a statement. In the Palakkad Assembly seat, more voters supported the LDF compared to previous elections, Vijayan said. Mandate will provide renewed energy: Kerala CM This mandate will provide renewed energy to advance development and welfare initiatives more vigorously in the coming days. He further emphasised that the LDF received secular votes in opposition to all forms of communalism. The message conveyed by the election results is the necessity to expose communalism and uphold secular politics without compromise, the CM stated. The results clearly show that the anti-government sentiment campaign had no impact on the people, who rejected the controversial and false narratives, he said. The CM claimed that while the UDF managed to retain Palakkad with the backing of communal forces, the LDF saw an increase in its votes compared to previous elections. The people rejected the BJP's claims, particularly their assertion following their victory in Thrissur in the Lok Sabha elections, and their temporary gains will not lead to a lasting movement in Kerala, he added. The CM congratulated the winners of the Assembly by-elections and the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-poll and extended greetings to all those who voted for the LDF. Both the LDF and the UDF retained the Chelakkara and Palakkad Assembly seats respectively with a comfortable margin in the bypolls. The Congress won the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat with a thumping margin.
