LDF's victory only 'technical win': Congress

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 7 (UNI) Terming the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) win in the Thiruvambadi Assembly byelection as a ''technical win,'' the Congress in Kerala today said the low victory margin was a setback to the LDF's six months rule.

''Though the LDF won the election, they could not maintain the margin, they had last time. Its winning margin, which had declined to a narrow 246 against the previous 5,479, shows that the people are not satisfied with the LDF's six months rule,'' Pradesh Congress Committee President Ramesh Chennithala told a press conference here.

He said the LDF could not maintain their previous time lead even after it allied with certain fundamental forces in the state and misused government machinery in the election.

Though the United Democratic Front (UDF) lost the election, the increase in votes for the UDF candidate was a positive sign for the UDF even after some had left the front, he added.

Stating that the minority groups, which had left the UDF, were coming back, Mr Chennithala said these groups, which had allied with the LDF six months back, had now realised the fact.

Noting that it was beginning of the LDF's ''political defeat,'' Mr Chennithala said the results showed that the Left Front's mass base had started to erode.

Though six months was not a time period for evaluating the performance of a government, the low victory margin showed the people had lost faith in the LDF in a very short time.

UNI PN AJ LS GC1650