Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM-led LDF on Thursday returned to power in Kerala getting a comfortable majority dealing a huge blow to the ruling Congress-led UDF while BJP created history making its debut.
Immediately after the poll results were out, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who will be submitting his resignation on Friday, said the poll outcome was a "setback" and they had not expected such a defeat.
Elated over the victory, 92-year-old Achutanandan, who spearheaded the LDF campaign, said it was an LDF wave and the victory was a reflection on the anger of the people on the "corrupt and anti-people policies of the UDF government".
CPM Polit Bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan said the victory was an acceptance of LDF's development policies.
The result also proved that people had rejected the "communal and divisive" forces. He also alleged that BJP was able to open its account due to Congress help.
In the Left Democratic Front (LDF) camp, CPM won 58 seats, CPI 19, Kerala Congress(B), CMP, RSP (L) and Congress (S) one each, JDS 3, NCP 2 and party backed independents 5.
Of the 47 seats won by the United Democratic Front (UDF), Congress won 22 seats, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) 18, Kerala Congress (Mani) 6, Kerala Congress (Jacob) one.
BJP's O Rajagopal, a former Union minister in the A B Vajpayee government, helped the saffron party to make its entry into Kerala assembly by winning the Nemom seat here.
Significantly, P C George, a former Kerala Congress (M) rebel leader, who contested independently from Poonjar, won by 27,821 votes, surprising even his worst critics.
UDF partners-- RSP and JDU, which contested 5 and 7 seats respectively were routed in the polls.
Similarly, 4 leaders, who walked out of the Kerala Congress (Mani) of the UDF and formed a new party called 'Democratic Kerala Congress' and allied with LDF, had to bite the dust as they lost all the four seats they contested.
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