Even though the “Congress won lot of seats”:https://varnam.org/archives/000385.html at the National level, in my home state of “Kerala”:http://www.keralatourism.org/, it was exactly the opposite. While the _Dynasty_ was bought back into power in Delhi, the dynasty was send packing home in Kerala.
* Karunakaran’s both children lost the election. His son Muraleedharan was the electricity minister in Kerala and had to win the by-election to retain his seat. His daughter, first time candidate, lost by a huge margin.
* K M Mani’s son, Jose K Mani was also defeated
* Muslim League which always won Manjeri seat, lost the seat, first time in 14 general elections.
* Congress did not win even one of the 20 seats.
In an analysis in “newindpress.com”:http://www.newindpress.com/election/2004/results/News.asp?Topic=302&Title=Kerala+Reports&ID=IEU20040514034352&nDate=5/14/2004&Sub=81&Cat=&
bq. If ever there was a revulsion vote in Kerala, it has just been delivered. Revulsion at a well-heeled and self-serving family?s outrageous political blackmail. Revulsion at a weak-kneed and self- absorbed leader of an elected government who succumbed to the blackmail.
bq. Revulsion at the puny turncoat Congress politicos who paraded their hiccups daily on prime time TV and in print, mistaking the cynical laughter of their audience for approbation. Finally and painfully, there was revulsion at also the ruling front as a whole for their squandering of an unambiguous electoral mandate for good governance.
bq. The rickety coalition of caste-community interests that had coasted the UDF to power only three years ago cracked and crashed as never before. Many Muslim Leaguers did not vote the way the League leaders proposed. In Manjeri, they voted a Communist of all people to victory. The Church could not hector their sheep. In Ernakulam, their chosen missionary lost.
Now to pay for the school drama played by Congress in Kerala, Chief Minister, “Antony is thinking of resigning”:http://us.rediff.com/election/2004/may/15bs3.htm.
Election Result in Kerala
Published
I was so relieved to see both the “pingami”‘s defeated. Even the newspapers were in such a state for last 6 months that the front page news used to be tantrums of the dealer (oops, sorry, Leader). Every third sentence is about “high-command” – what the hell is this? Some kind of a army group. After all this is a party that can’t even get democracy going within itself – well, as long as the leaders have Gandhi in their last names, that is good enough.
Three weeks ago Congress was busy sponsering movies in Asianet. One movie – Mohan Lal’s “Pingami”. How appropriate!