Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI had the highest strike rate in the state winning 19 seats of the 27 it contested (70 percent). In 2001 also, it had contested 27 seats but could win only 13. The party could retain all the seats it won in the previous Assembly elections and ensure the victory of other LDF candidates in their strongholds of Kollam and Thrissur districts.
In Kollam, the LDF won all the 11 seats. The CPI candidates won four seats: R. Ramachandran (Karungappally), K. Raju (Punalur), Mullakkara Ratnakaran (Chadayamangalam) and G.S. Jayalal (Chathanoor). Mr Ratnakaran won by a margin of 21, 928 votes, Mr Raju by 33,552 and Mr Jayalal by 34,407.
The highest number of seats for the party came from Thrissur district- five.
It also helped the LDF in winning 11 out of the 12 seats. The winners of the CPI are K. Rajan from Ollur with a lead of 13,248 votes, Geetha Gopi from Nattika with a majority of 26,777 votes, T.E.
Taison Master from Kaipamangalam with a lead of 33,440 votes, V.S. Sunilkumar from Thrissur with a lead of 6987 votes and V.R. Sunilkumar from Kodungalloor with 22,791 votes. CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran said that the party had made allout efforts to win the seats it had lost in 2011 and could achieve its goal partially.
