Assembly elections: regional leaders and parties to the fore

Kolkata: Results of assembly elections from five different states have revealed expected and unexpected results. Expectedly, the Trinamool Congress has romped home to a historic win in West Bengal, bringing down the curtains on the 34-year uninterrupted rule of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM)-led Left Front.

In other results less expected the Jayalalitha-led All India Anna DMK (AIADMK) has swept to a massive three-fourths majority in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, trouncing the DMK-Congress alliance, which had been in power.

In Kerala, it was the turn of the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) to spring a surprise by nearly reversing the established trend of the incumbent party being thrown out of power. It would appear the communists have now conceded defeat losing out by a meagre four seats to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). The tally for the 140-seat house now stands in favour of the UDF by 72-68.

In Assam the Congress could heave a big sigh of relief as its local unit has shrugged aside anti-incumbency sentiments to sweep into power on the back of a well-timed move to strike a peace accord with the outlawed ULFA. The people of this long suffering state, wracked by an ULFA–led insurgency, have welcomed the move by voting in favour of the Tarun Gogoi –led Congress government.

The small state of Puducherry may swing away from the Congress and usher in an alliance between a breakaway faction of the Congress and the AIADMK.

In a number of by-polls the Congress is facing embarrassing reversals in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, with the mother and son duo of Jagan Mohan and Vijaylakshmi Reddy close to trouncing their Congress rivals. The son and wife of Andhra Congressman and ex-chief minister YSR Reddy, they have declared open revolt against the Delhi Congress High Command and have campaigned against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.