Delivering a crushing blow to the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front in Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front bagged 16 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in a virtual reversal of the 2004 verdict.

The CPI(M) barely managed to hold on to its traditional fortresses like Palakkad, Alathur, Kasargode and Attingal.

The Congress captured 13 of the 17 seats it contested, while its partners IUML Kerala Congress (M) won two and one seats respectively. The biggest loser was the Communist Party of India, which lost all the four seats it contested.

A prominent winner from the state was former UN undersecretary-general Shashi Tharoor, who some TV channels are tipping for a junior ministerial berth.

The Left rout in Kerala was largely attributed to prolonged feud between two factions in the CPI-M led by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, and the infighting among front partners before the poll.

Brushing aside the challenge of a four-party alliance led by the Telugu Desam Party as well as the Praja Rajyam Party floated by Telugu film megastar Chiranjeevi, the ruling Congress party not only retained power in Andhra Pradesh but also contributed the highest state-wise share to the United Progressive Alliance's tally in the Lok Sabha.

The Lok Sabha and assembly polls were held simultaneously in AP. The victory is widely attributed to the good governance skills shown by chief minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, who wrested power from Chandrababu Naidu in 2004.

The Congress was poised to win 36 out of the 42 seats in the state. In 2004, it had won 29 Lok Sabha seats. Prominent losers are union minister of state Renuka Chowdhury, Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party leader K Yerran Naidu and Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao.

In the simultaneous polls to the 294-member assembly too, the Congress is all set to garner a comfortable majority.