Thiruvananthapuram: Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has described the UDF’s victory in the Assembly elections as a "tidal wave" of public support. Speaking in a special interview with Mathrubhumi News, he stated that the win was a result of a decisive public mandate against 10 years of governance. He credited "Team UDF" and its collective leadership as the architects of this success.

When questioned about who would take the helm as Chief Minister, Chennithala replied that a member of the Congress party would lead Kerala. He added that the final decision rests with the Congress High Command.

Recalling the 2011 elections, Chennithala shared an anecdote regarding party unity. "In 2011, both Oommen Chandy and I contested. When the Parliamentary Party meeting was convened, I voluntarily stepped back. I declared that since Oommen Chandy was my senior, he should become the Chief Minister. I didn't even enter a contest; I nominated his name myself out of respect for his seniority," he said.
 


Critiquing the LDF’s campaign slogan "Who else if not the LDF?", Chennithala questioned whether it smacked of arrogance. He claimed that "genuine Communists”, fearing that a consecutive term would ruin the party, voted for the UDF. He pointed to victories in traditional strongholds like Taliparamba, Payyanur and Ambalappuzha (the site of the Punnapra struggle) as evidence of this shift.Chennithala further noted that the CPM state secretary had allegedly made it a primary agenda to defeat G Sudhakaran in Ambalappuzha. He also highlighted the narrow defeat of Aisha Potty in Kottarakkara. He attributed the massive victory to the hard work of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge. However, he expressed concern over the BJP winning three seats in the state, while suggesting that the Left could move forward if they chose to rectify their mistakes.