Kerala Minister Sivankutty alleges UDF-BJP nexus behind his defeat in Nemom

Thiruvananthapuram, May 5 (PTI) Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty, who lost from his sitting seat in Nemom constituency here, on Tuesday claimed that a UDF-BJP deal resulted in his defeat.

Sivankutty also claimed that huge amounts of money and liquor were expended in the constituency and that too contributed in the BJP's win.

Speaking to a TV channel here, the minister claimed that there was no scope for his defeat from Nemom as per the CPI(M) and LDF calculations, but it happened due to the deal between the BJP and UDF.

He alleged that there was an alliance between the UDF and the BJP in the state to defeat the LDF candidates as both were opposed to the Left front.

In Nemom, the Congress lost around 7,000 votes as compared to its performance in the 2021 Assembly polls and these votes went to the BJP as part of the UDF's deal with them, Sivankutty alleged.

The minister said that there would be several other reasons for the Left's defeat in the polls and these would be ascertained after a detailed discussion within the CPI(M) and the LDF.

After the reasons are ascertained, corrective measures will be taken, he added.

He further said that he accepts his defeat as the people's verdict and will continue to work for them from Thiruvananthapuram.

On who would be the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly from the LDF, Sivankutty said that all those who won were eligible for it and a decision would be taken by the party regarding it.

The UDF won 102 seats, while the CPI(M)-headed LDF netted 35 seats, according to Election Commission data on counting of votes for 140 constituencies.

The ire against the government was so strong that 13 ministers in the cabinet suffered defeat in the political tsunami unleashed by the UDF.

Of the 21 cabinet members, only Pinarayi Vijayan, P A Mohamed Riyas, K Rajan, G R Anil, K N Balagopal, P Prasad, and Saji Cherian survived the rout of the Left front by the UDF. PTI