ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

Articles by K M Sajad IbrahimSubscribe to K M Sajad Ibrahim

Decisive Vote for UDF in Kerala

Two factors that influenced the election outcome in Kerala were the anti-incumbency wave against the National Democratic Alliance government at the centre and the Left Democratic Front government’s hasty decision to implement the verdict of the Supreme Court on Sabarimala temple. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s attempt to exploit the temple issue in the election against the LDF government failed due to the strong sentiment against the BJP-led NDA government in Kerala. Hence, the United Democratic Front received a bigger advantage in the election owing to its soft policy on the temple issue as well as its being seen as an alternative to the NDA government at the centre.

Changing Voting Behaviour in Kerala Elections

In Kerala, a state with its time-tested social and political tradition which seeks to bind all sections of people together, irrespective of religion or caste, the emergence of the National Democratic Alliance as an alternative to the two mainstream political fronts had its repercussions among a section of the minorities. The fluctuation in the voting preferences signals the crisis the Left Democratic Front is facing. Except for the extremely poor, all other socio-economic groups, including Dalits, Other Backward Castes, the lower classes and the younger generation, are highly volatile and are changing their political preferences, depending on the unfolding social reality.

Kerala: A Negative Verdict on LDF Government

The voters in Kerala privileged the performance of the state government while voting in the 15th Lok Sabha elections. The internal squabbles within the dominant party and within the Left Democratic Front alliance and an overall expression of disapproval of the state government's record helped the Congress-led United Democratic Front reap a large share of the seats.

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