The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) stormed back to power in Kerala, ending a decade in Opposition with a commanding 102-seat victory in the 140-member Assembly. Riding a powerful anti-incumbency wave, the alliance dismantled several CPI(M) bastions, reducing the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), which was seeking an unprecedented third-consecutive term under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan , to just 35 seats. The LDF defeat means no state in the country now has a Left government — a first in nearly five decades. The BJP, meanwhile, managed to secure three seats to put up its best showing in an Assembly election in Kerala. While CM Vijayan retained his Dharmadam seat, 13 of his Cabinet colleagues were defeated. They included prominent faces of the LDF government, such as P Rajeeve, M B Rajesh, V N Vasavan, V Sivankutty and Veena George, who managed key portfolios. Other senior, high-profile CPI(M) leaders, K K Shailaja and T P Ramakrishnan, were also among those who lost.…