Few upset victories and some unexpected losses marked the counting of votes in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts.
Energetic campaigning, the government's pro-active welfarism, electorates hesitation to change guard mid-pandemic, motivated voting, and an optimistic election manifesto had aided the LDF in South Kerala.
The BJP had emerged as a decisive third force during the early phase of the campaigning. However, the last-minute consolidation of minority votes favouring the ruling front had blunted the party's edge at the hustings.
So had intra-party feuding between leaders. The BJP did not lack campaign funds, crowd pullers, national leaders and party workers. However, it failed to make an impact in the region despite being resource-rich.
A Congress insider attributed the relatively poor showing of the UDF to intra-party feuding, factionalism, inadequate funding and lacklustre campaigning. The Congress suspected the BJP had cross voted in some pockets to aid the LDF.
Moreover, some sections of the Congress base had abandoned broad-based party loyalty and opted for identity politics led voting, he said. Emotive topics such as Sabarimala had a relatively low impact on voters. BJP State president K. Surendran was relegated to a far third position in the Ranni constituency in Pathanamthitta.
Illustratively, Kazhakuttom was at the epicentre of a bitter ideological battle over the right of women to worship at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.
Sobha Surendran of the BJP had emerged as the face of the party's campaign against the entry of women into the temple. Her prime rival Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran, characterised by the right as the "government's atheist enabler", defeated Ms. Sobha by a margin of over 20,000 votes.
South Kerala was also swept up in the pro-LDF wave that swamped the State. Most ruling front legislators retained their seats. The LDF dominated Thiruvananthapuram, bagging 13 out of the 14 Assembly seats. The gold smuggling scandal made no dent in the LDF's prospects.
At least two titans fell in Thiruvananthapuram district. Congress had pitted K. Muraleedharan, MP, as its standard-bearer to defeat V. Sivankutty of the CPI(M) and Kummanam Rajasekharan of the BJP in Nemom. However, voters aided Mr. Sivankutty and relegated Mr. Muraleedharan to a far third position.
In the Thiruvananthapuram constituency, Antony Raju of the Kerala Congress (Secular) defeated former Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar.
In Kollam, the LDF retained nine out of the 11 seats. The results sprung two surprises.
Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma lost to P.C. Vishnunath of the Congress amidst speculation that the NDA ally, the BDJS, had shifted votes in the latter's favour.
Ms. Mercykutty was at the receiving end of an Opposition campaign that accused her of opening the door to foreign trawlers. The allegation had caused traditional fishers, a crucial demographic in the State, to arguably develop disaffection with the Minister.
C.R. Mahesh set a record of sorts by opening an account for the Congress in Kollam after a hiatus of 15 years. The LDF made a clean haul of the five seats in the Pathanamthitta district, the Sabarimala heartland.
