The Vengara election result on Sunday evoked mixed reactions from various political leaders. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed it as a creditable outcome for the Left Democratic Front whereas the Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala called it a verdict against the Communist Party of India’s (Marxist) gross misuse of power.
Mr. Vijayan, who is currently in New Delhi to attend the party meetings, said the verdict was a body blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which had set out to capture Kerala. The Social Democratic Party of India’s electoral performance needed to be studied carefully, but it did not signify its strength, he added.
Mr. Chennithala said the CPI(M)-led LDF was unable to make electoral gains because of its anti-people policies. The UDF was sure that K.N.A. Khader would not be able to replicate IUML leader P.K. Kunhalikutty’s winning margins in the 2016 Vengara assembly poll and the recent Malappuram Lok Sabha election. It was rare for a candidate to secure a margin of over 20,000 votes in an assembly contest, he said.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the UDF’s victory was merely technical. The increase in the number of votes was a political gain for the LDF. The verdict was proof enough that the UDF’s political and organisation collapse was imminent.
The UDF and the BJP should be prepared to learn a few lessons from the electoral verdict. This was because the verdict indicated the growing support for the LDF Government’s policies based on social justice, he said
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president M.M. Hassan said the Vengara results was a verdict against the CPI(M)-led LDF’s corrupt administration and political violence. The BJP and the CPI(M) were blind to the growing resentment against the Central and State Government policies, he added.
Former KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran said the SDPI’s vote percentage was a dangerous sign. The IUML leader P.K. Kunhalikutty had been able to poll individual votes when he contested from there, but the huge difference in the winning margins should not be dismissed lightly, he said calling for an honest evaluation and suitable corrective action.
Communist Party of India state secretary Kanam Rajendran said the Vengara verdict was not a political victory for the UDF because of its lower percentage of votes. Inf act, the LDF’s base had expanded. The verdict also blew off the lid UDF allegation about unholy nexus between the LDF and the BJP.
