Kerala chief minister VS Achutanandan has won comfortably in the Assembly election at Malampuzha constituency in Palakad district of Kerala. He won by more than 17,000 votes, one of the highest majorities in the election.
Achutanandan is leading a resurgent left alliance in Kerala, is ending up with around 66 or 67 seats out of the total 140 seats, doing much better than expected.
Achutanandan’s election will also be significant as there are factors within his party who would rather see the 86 year old veteran lose. The faction of the Party led by General Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan wants to hoist his rival Kodiyeri Balakrishnan to the CM’s chair.
O Rajagopal, BJP’s tallest leader in Kerala, is also leading and so is Muralidharan, son of Congress leader Karunakaran.
Ramesh Chennithala, Congress’ ‘Nair’ leader, maintains a small lead of around 350 votes from his constituency in Haripad.
Chennithala and Congress’ ‘Christian’ leader Ommen Chandy are likely to fight for the Chief Minister’s chair as UDF is expected to end up with 73-74 seats and claim the right to form the government.
Chandy, on the other hand, won by more than 25,000 votes.