In an enormous blow to the CPI(M)-led LDF authorities in Kerala, the opposition Congress-UDF entrance has retained the Thrikkakara seat after registering a historic win towards the ruling social gathering. Uma Thomas emerged victorious within the Thrikkakara Assembly by-election after defeating Left candidate Jo Joseph by a large margin of 25,000 votes.
Despite the CPI(M) going to the polls with all its would possibly with the campaigning being led by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Left entrance didn’t impress, and referred to as the loss within the coronary heart of Kochi “unexpected” and surprising.
The bypoll was necessitated after the dying of legislator PT Thomas late final 12 months.
Uma, the widow of the late PT Thomas, garnered over 72,000 votes whereas Joseph stood at a distant second with solely 47,000 votes. There have been no jitters alongside the way in which as Uma maintained a cushty lead all through the 12 rounds of counting.
Thrikkakara, an essential constituency housing key seats within the Kochi Municipal Corporation, has at all times been a Congress stronghold. However the Left Front left no stone unturned as they despatched their prime leaders and ministers for campaigning within the month resulting in the bypoll.
Apart from CM Vijayan, all of the ministers from his cupboard had campaigned by organising a number of political rallies, conferences and door-to-door campaigning. CPI(M)’s main pitch was the development of a semi-high velocity rail hall, a transfer criticised by the UDF-Congress. The CPI(M) had turned it right into a ‘pro-development vs anti-development’ battle.
In what was believed to be a referendum on the Vijayan-led authorities, the bypoll outcomes got here as a much-needed win to Congress, which had suffered a humiliating loss to the Left within the Assembly elections over a 12 months again.
The outcomes additionally present that the minority vote base, primarily of Christians, remains to be intact for the Congress regardless of the exit of many massive Christian names together with former Union minister KV Thomas. The senior Congress chief was expelled from the social gathering after he had shared a stage with leaders belonging to the opposition LDF at an election conference.
Source: www.financialexpress.com”