Pinarayi set for a record second term
The Hindu
Ends alternating victories of rival fronts
The electoral history of Kerala saw a watershed event on Sunday as the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, romped home in the Assembly election. The verdict dismantled the familiar pattern of the two major fronts led by rivals Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Congress alternately coming to power. The familiar arrangements in the bipolar order of electoral politics in the State were overturned with the LDF securing continuity of governance, a scenario captured by its campaign catchphrase ‘Urappanu LDF’ (It’s LDF for sure). The LDF swept the election by winning 99 of the total 140 seats in the Assembly. The LDF’s historic victory even surpassed its own calculations.The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.