CPI(M) retains Chengannur assembly seat

Kerala's ruling CPI(M)-led LDF's Saji Cheriyan today won the Chengannur Assembly bypoll by a huge margin of 20,956 votes over his nearest Congress rival, officials said.

 According to the Chief Electoral Office, Cheriyan polled 67,303 votes while the Congress-led UDF candidate D Vijaykumar got 46,347 votes and BJP's P S Sreedharan Pillai came third with 35,270 votes.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA K K Ramachandran Nair of the CPI(M) in January this year due to illness.

CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishna described the victory as the "achievement" of the two-year rule of the Pinarayi Vijayan led government.

It was also a 'rejection of the soft Hindutva policy' of the Congress, Balakrishnan told reporters here.

Leader of Opposition in the assembly and UDF chairman Ramesh Chennithala attributed the LDF victory to the alleged communal card played by the Left Front.

(PTI)