Small parties invisible

The verdict of this election would be positively marked by the growing irrelevance of fringe elements and small parties.

The verdict of this election would be positively marked by the growing irrelevance of fringe elements and small parties,which would in turn give more elbow room for the leading partners of the coalition.

Three partners of the LDF Kerala Congress (S),Indian National League (INL) and Kerala Congress (Thomas) failed to make it to the 13th Assembly,although they together had contested in seven seats.

In the UDF camp,the rebel Communist parties of M V Raghavan and K R Gowri Amma have been wiped out from the electoral scene. For Raghavans Communist Marxist Party,this

is the second Assembly election in which it has drawn blank despite contesting in three seats.

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Gowri Ammas Janathipathya Samrakshana Samithi lost all four seats. There had been widespread protest against 92-year-old veteran contesting,but the Congress leaders glossed over her poor health,saying she was young in mind.

The Kerala Congress (S) is facing the end of the road with the defeat of Kadannappally Ramachandran,a minister in the outgoing Cabinet. Before the elections,his party had suffered a split also. The INL had also lost ground in the surge of the IUML in North Kerala.

Although the Kerala Congress (M) has bagged nine seats,other three Kerala Congress groups Kerala Congress (B),Kerala Congress (Jacob),and the Thomas faction have all lost ground.