LDF polls over 48 p c votes

Thiruvananthapuram, May 11 (UNI) The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) which wrested power in Kerala winning 98 of the 140 Assembly seats, polled 48.63 per cent of the total votes cast, 6.05 per cent more than the Congress-led United Democratic Front.

While the UDF polled 42.98 per cent, the Bharatiya Janata Party got 4.75 per cent and others, including the Independents, managed to get 3.64 per cent of the total votes polled.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) which got 21.36 per cent of the votes in the 2001 Assembly elections got 30.45 per cent this time. While the Communist Party of India, which won 17 seats bagged 8.09 per cent votes, the Janata Dal (Secular) got 2.44 per cent, 0.50 per cent less than in 2001.

The share of Kerala Congress (J) which got 2.9 per cent in 2001 declined to 1.75 per cent this time. The Revolutionary Socialist Party also went down from 1.71 per cent in 2001 to 1.44 per cent this time.

The Nationalist Congress Party also failed to keep up the share it had bagged in 2001. It got 0.64 per cent compared to 1.71 per cent in 2001 elections.

The Indian National League, which was not a constituent of the LDF in 2001 got 0.29 per cent votes then and allied with the Left now, it has got 0.9 per cent votes.

The Kerala Congress (S) and Congress (S), the new constituents of the LDF, managed to get 0.31 per cent and 0.47 per cent votes respectively. About 2.14 per cent of votes were polled by LDF supported independents.

The Congress got 24.09 per cent votes against 31.4 per cent in the 2001 elections. The Indian Union Muslim League, the second largest constituent of the UDF, could not maintain the 7.59 per cent share it got in 2001, securing only 7.30 per cent of votes in this election.

The Kerala Congress (M) and the Janathipathya Samrakshana Samithi got 3.26 and 1.51 per cent votes respectively. In the last Assembly elections, they had bagged 0.72 and 1.78 per cent votes respectively.

The Communist Marxist Party, whose candidates lost the elections, could manage 0.81 per cent votes. Kerala Congress (B) topmost leader and seven-time MLA R Balakrishna Pillai who lost the elections, got 0.62 per cent votes.

The Bharatiya Janata Party failed to keep up the percentage of votes it got in the 2001 elections. It had to be content with 4.75 per cent votes in this election compared to 5.02 per cent votes last time.

The Bahujan Samaj Party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Lok Janshakti Party managed to get 0.69, 0.12 and 0.02 per cent votes respectively.

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