PC George dented LDF and UDF vote banks

KOTTAYAM: Kerala Congress (S) leader  P.C. George made huge inroads into the vote banks of the UDF and the LDF in Poonjar to gain a massive majority of 27, 821 votes. In the  2011 elections, LDF  independent candidate Mohan Thomas had bagged 44, 105 votes in a direct fight with Mr George who was in the UDF then.  Mr P.C. Joseph of the LDF has now polled only 22, 270 votes  pointing to Mr George’s gain.  

In 2011, Mr George had polled  59, 809 votes while  UDF candidate  Georgekutty Augusthy secured only 35, 80 votes now. There has been a substantial  addition of voters in the constituency. In 2011, the total polled votes were only 1,17, 400, whereas the total  votes polled this time has  increased to 1,45,124. The new voters, mostly of the UDF and the LDF, voted for Mr George, it is clear.  

Only the SDPI had extended support to him, whose vote share ranges up to 4,000, especially in Erattupetta and nearby areas. In  2011,  SDPI candidate V.M. Sulaiman Moulavi had bagged 3,579 votes. Mr  George also got  personal votes by fighting against  corruption, apart from the votes he got from the NDA camp. The BDJS candidate secured only 19,000 votes. The constituency has a substantial number of Ezhava voters.