Kannur (Kerala) | A day after the Congress-led UDF registered a massive victory in the Assembly polls, KPCC Chief Sunny Joseph on Tuesday accused Pinarayi Vijayan of promoting violence during his tenure as chief minister and said the verdict was a clear mandate against such politics.

Joseph, who retained his Peravoor seat by defeating senior CPI(M) leader and former Health Minister K K Shailaja, urged the CPI(M) to analyse its defeat and understand the sentiments prevailing at the grassroots level.

Addressing reporters here, he said that if traditional Left bastions like Kannur have been shaken in the April 9 Assembly polls, its impact would be felt across the state.

"The verdict is a huge setback to the CPI(M)'s violent, autocratic and arrogant politics. The Chief Minister promoted violence, and the people have voted against such stands," Joseph alleged.

He also referred to alleged incidents of "pre-planned murders" of Congress and Youth Congress workers, in which CPI(M) workers have faced accusations and attacks on party activists for showing black flags to Vijayan.

Instead of curbing such incidents, Vijayan supported them, he charged.

Joseph further claimed that a strong anti-incumbency wave and the backing of "real Marxist workers" contributed to the decisive victory of the Congress-led UDF.

The UDF won 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, while the CPI(M)-led LDF secured 35 seats during the April 9 Assembly polls.

The BJP also won three seats in the crucial election.