The Left Democratic Front (LDF) made a strong comeback in Wayanad district by winning two of the three constituencies in the Assembly elections, the results of which were declared on Thursday.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) had made a clean sweep in all the three constituencies – Kalpetta, Mananthavadi and Sulthan Bathery - in the 2011 Assembly elections.
LDF candidate C.K. Saseendran, CPI(M) district secretary, won comfortably by defeating JD(S) candidate and sitting MLA M.V. Sreyamskumar in Kalpetta by a margin of 13,083 votes. Mr. Saseendran secured 72,959 votes while Mr. Sreyamskumar got 59,876 votes.
UDF victory
In Sulthan Bathery, sitting MLA I.C. Balakrishnan of the Congress defeated Rugmini Subrahmanyan of the CPI(M) with a margin of 11, 198 votes. Mr. Balakrishnan secured 75, 747 votes while Ms. Rugmini got 64,549 votes. Mr. Balakrishnan improved his margin this time from the 7,583 votes he secured in the last Assembly election. NDA-supported tribal leader C.K. Janu got only 27, 920 votes.
O.R. Kelu of the CPI(M) defeated his nearest rival Minister P.K. Jayalakshmi of the Congress in Mananthavadi constituency by a margin of 1,307of votes. Mr. Kelu secured 62,436 votes and Ms. Jayalakshmi got 61,129 votes.
