The Congress-led United Democratic Front won 12 seats in the Lok Sabha election in Kerala, while the CPM-led Left Democratic Front improved its tally to eight from four in 2009.
The Kerala result remained true to tradition of the Congress and the CPM sharing the spoils. The BJP missed its expected historical debut in Kerala, but party candidate O Rajagopal emerged runner up in Thiruvananthapuram, where Congress’s Shashi Tharoor won.
While UPA ministers elsewhere wilted under the Modi wave, all six Union ministers from Kerala retained their sitting seats. But, Congress spokesman and JPC chairman P C Chacko met with an unexpected drubbing in the Congress stronghold of Chalakkudy, where Malayalam film comedian Innocent had the last laugh.
The Congress contested 15 seats, but won only in eight. The remaining four UDF seats were won by its ally IUML (2), Kerala Congress (1) and RSP (1). Except for Idukki and Thrissur districts, the Congress gained much from minority consolidation in most of its sitting seats. In Wayanad, the Congress managed to overcome anti-incumbency factor. In Malappuram, Muslim League’s E Ahammed, who has faced protests from the community over non-performance, won with a margin of 1.94 lakh on the same ground.
Although CPM-led LDF improved its performance, the rout of politburo member M A Baby and central committee member A Vijayaraghavan, in Kollam and Kozhikode respectively, took the sheen out of the CPM show. That its estranged ally RSP defeated Baby is a double blow to the CPM. In Vatakara, a Left stronghold, Communist rebels spoiled the CPM victory.
The CPM tactic of fielding Independents from minority communities backfired in Thiruvannathapuram, where Left candidate Bennet Abraham trailed behind even BJP. In Abraham’s collapse, CPM failed in a strategy seeking to combine its cadre voters and Nadar community vote bank.
At the same time, a face-saving victory came from Idukki, where Left Independent Joys George defeated Congress’ Dean Kuriakose and Chalakkudy, where actor Innocent defeated P C Chacko.
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In both constituencies, the CPM enjoyed the Christian, particularly Catholic, consolidation. Since 1977, Idukki was won by Congress, with the exception of 2004 and 2009 when a regional Christian party joined hands with the CPM. Chalakkudy too had seen only Congress candidates, with the exception of 2004. This time also, the CPM used the same tactic and it worked.
Even with no wins, BJP surges ahead
Thiruvananthapuram: While the BJP failed to win any seat in Kerala, the party surged ahead in all 20 constituencies in terms of vote riding on the Modi wave.
In all the constituencies, BJP candidates have doubled the party tally compared to 2009. In Thiruvananthapuram, where the BJP won only 84,000 votes in 2009, O Rajagopal bagged 2.81 lakh votes this time round. In 2004, Rajagopal’s presence in the electoral fray had helped BJP cover 2.25 lakh votes.
Another constituency where the BJP has significantly improved its vote share is Kasargode, where young leader K Surendran caught CPM and Congress in a triangular contest. In four other constituencies, BJP candidates obtained six-digit vote share, registering 40 to 50 per cent increase in vote bank vis-à-vis 2009. ENS
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