Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretary M V Govindan on Friday said UDF candidate Chandy Oommen's victory in the Puthuppally bypoll was due to a sympathy wave. He rubbished the opposition's claim that it was a verdict against LDF misrule.
“Chandy Oommen himself termed his victory as the 13th win of Oommen Chandy. There is no argument on this (sympathy) factor. UDF's victory in the election was expected as the bypoll was held immediately after the demise of Oommen Chandy. So, sympathy wave benefited the front,” said Govindan.
Pointing out the steep fall in BJP's vote share, he said it raises suspicion whether the saffron party has supported the UDF.
The CPM leader asserted the bypoll result should not be examined as a verdict of the public who are disgusted with the LDF government's rule.
Addressing the media here, the CPM secretary admitted defeat and hinted at big plans to impress the voters in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Congress led UDF on Friday retained the Puthuppally Assembly constituency in Kerala as its candidate Chandy Oommen won by a margin of over 36,000 votes in the bypoll, Election Commission sources said.
While Chandy Oommen, son of late Congress stalwart Oommen Chandy, gained a clear edge since the initial round, his nearest rival and ruling LDF candidate Jaick C Thomas could never gain a lead in any rounds.
The CPM-led LDF lost ground even in its stronghold areas, and BJP candidate Ligin Lal was nowhere in the picture when the counting was over.
Chandy Oommen (37), currently chairman of the Youth Congress's national outreach cell, could well surpass his father's record of margin of 33,255 votes in the constituency, which the late Congress leader represented Puthuppally in the state assembly for over five decades.
The bypoll result, which came a few months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, is seen as a huge setback for the ruling CPM, which has been facing allegations of corruption and nepotism from the opposition Congress-led UDF and the BJP.
(With PTI inputs)
