IUML shed weight, BJP fail to open account

Kozhikode, May 11 (UNI) Indian Union Muslim League, the second largest partner in the outgoing UDF Ministry, turned out to be the worst sufferer as many of its prominent leaders including party general secetary P K Kunhalikutty conceded humiliating defeats in the Kerala Assembly elections, result of which were declared today.

The newly floated Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) also suffered severe drubbing with its 16 out of 17 candidates, including party chief K Muraleedharan, failing to make it to the legislature.

The elections also proved a damp squib for the Bharatiya Janata Party as it failed to open account in the state Assembly this time as well, despite all-out efforts.

IUML strongman Kunhalitty met his waterloo at Kuttippuram when he was defeated by one-time close lieutenant and CPI(M)-backed independent K T Jaleel by a margin of 8,771 votes.

The other strong pillars which were swept away in the LDF waves were Education Minister E T Mohammd Basheer, PWD Minister M K Muneer and former Minister Chekalam Abdullah who were defeated by their LDF rivals in Tirur, Mankada and Majeswaram seats respectively.

With this IUML, which had 24 seats in the outgoing Assembly came down to mere seven in the 140-member House.

The DIC(K), which claimed of becoming a deciding factor after the poll, could only get one seat when its candidate Thomas Chandy won the Kuttanad seat. All the other 16 candidates, including party chief K Muraleedharan, miserably failed to make to the House posing a question mark about the survival of the breakaway faction of the Congress.

Prominent among them were former Ministers P Sankaran, T M Jacob, M P Gangadharan, V Balaram, Ms Shobana George, K C Kadambooran, N D Appachan and Johny Nelloor.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which fielded its candidates in almost all the constituencies, failed to open its account as none of them were able to get the mandate.

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