Malappuram bypoll: It's a gain for LDF, claims Pinarayi Vijayan

THIRUVNANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said Malappuram Lok Sabha by-poll verdict is not against the state government as was evident from the big increase in ruling LDF's vote share and the reduced majority of UDF. The chief minister who is in Delhi to attend the politburo meeting, said compared to 2014 Lok Sabha elections the LDF had performed significantly well.  “If we compare the LDF and UDF vote share compared to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls clearly the ruling front has increased its total vote share and vote percentage considerably,” he said adding that the UDF on the other hand had not been able to repeat its performance.

Pinarayi said the LDF had put up significant fight in the bypoll which was also evident from the outcome. When asked whether the verdict was a referendum on the state government’s performance, the chief minister replied in the negative. The SDPI and Welfare Party worked for the UDF candidate but even that didn’t help them to achieve the significant increase in vote share compared to the LDF. The chief minister said the significant increase in LDF vote share indicted that it was not a mandate against the state government. CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had triggered a major controversy when he said the bypoll was a referendum on the state government.

Veteran leader V S Achuthanandan who campaigned briefly in Malappuram had also stated that the by poll was a referendum. However, Pinarayi had a divergent opinion on the referendum issue. Former CPM general secretary Prakash Karat had also come to Pinarayi's rescue. At a press conference in Kozhikode during the peak of the campaign, he rejected the view that the by-poll was a referendum. Clearly with LDF gaining more votes and also managing to reduce the majority of UDF, the chief minister is a relieved man at least for now.