Kerala Assembly Election Result: CPM garners 25.38% of popular mandate; Congress gets 25.12% votes

The Communist Party of India (Marxist), which emerged victorious in the Kerala Assembly election, has won a vote share of 25.38 percent, according to the official Election Commission figures. The Indian National Congress’ vote share is marginally lower at 25.12 percent. Among other major parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party won 11.30 percent of the votes while Communist Party of India won 7.68 percent of the popular mandate. On Sunday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan led the ruling LDF to a thumping win over the Opposition UDF in the keenly fought 6 April Assembly polls, bucking an over four-decade-old trend of power alternating between two fronts. A combination of factors contributed to LDF’s historic victory, including delivery of a string of populist measures like distribution of free foodgrains and provision kits to all people, better management of the COVID-19 situation by gearing up the public health care system, and enhanced and prompt payout of social security pensions. Severe organisational weaknesses of the Congress and the BJP’s foray into the traditional anti-Left support base also helped the LDF coast to victory comfortably, winning 87 of the total of 140 seats so far. A powerful administrator, Vijayan had rolled out a set of development and welfare measures to enable a spectacular comeback for LDF from its drubbing in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when it lost 19 out of the 20 seats. The LDF also shed its hardline position on issues like the entry of women of menstruating age to the famous Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, regaining lost ground in the social spectrum. With inputs from PTI