Pinarayi Vijayan resigned as Kerala CM after the Congress-led UDF defeated the incumbent LDF government, winning 63 of 140 seats. The Governor has requested him to continue as caretaker CM until the new government is sworn in.
A day after the Left Democratic Front's (LDF)-led government came to an end in Keralam after a decade, outgoing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan arrived at Thiruvananthapuram from Kannur on Tuesday. Further details regarding the purpose of the visit were not immediately available.
UDF Wins, Vijayan Resigns
On Monday, Keralam Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar accepted the resignation of incumbent Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan following the Congress-led UDF's victory in the assembly elections. According to Raj Bhavan, the Governor has requested Vijayan to continue in his post until a new government is sworn in and alternate arrangements are made.
Vijayan's resignation came after the Congress-led UDF defeated the incumbent LDF government by winning 63 out of 140 seats in state elections. The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led LDF secured 26 seats, while the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) won 22 seats, marking the exit of the incumbent LDF administration in the state.
Significance of the Election Outcome
Congress had failed to oust the Pinarayi Vijayan government in the last assembly polls but ran a relatively unified campaign this time, leaving the issue of the Chief Minister to be settled after the polls. Keralam victory has come for Congress after a series of losses in assembly polls since the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
A UDF victory this time also signals a generational shift in Keralam politics, as the party moves forward without stalwarts like K Karunakaran and Oommen Chandy. Leadership within the alliance is now centred around figures such as VD Satheesan, who has been a prominent voice against the LDF government.
Although anti-incumbency against the 10-year-old LDF government was widely expected, the scale of the UDF's lead has still drawn attention.
BJP Opens Account in Kerala
Meanwhile, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), for the first time in the history of Keralam politics, will now have three MLAs representing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Keralam Assembly.
Keralam went to the polls in a single phase on April 9, with a strong voter turnout of 78.27 per cent. (ANI)
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