Counting in Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency at Maharaja’s College was hardly into an hour when first beats of drums were heard outside — the UDF candidate K.V. Thomas had stacked up a lead in excess of 10,000.
Slowly flags of the Congress and Indian Union Muslim League emerged above the compound wall of the counting centre indicating the start of celebrations. Workers clad in aprons with printed pictures of Mr. Thomas and holding his cutouts danced as music hit feverish pitch. Joining them were IUML activists clad in green. With their candidate’s lead rising with each passing round, celebrations turned more excited.
The workers’ soon celebrated with fire crackers when their candidate’s lead crossed 70,000. IUML workers could be seen distributing green-coloured ladoos.
Meanwhile, a BJP contingent, including children wearing Modi masks, jubilant over the overwhelming performance of their party at the national level, approached the counting centre to the accompaniment of band music. Police, however, formed a human wall stopping the workers waving saffron flags at the hospital junction to avoid a potential clash with the celebrating UDF workers. They shouted slogans and danced in front of TV cameras for a while before leaving for a victory march through the city.
The few LDF workers around looked bewildered over the drastic drop in the vote share of their independent candidate.