The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has achieved its best-ever performance in Kerala by winning three Assembly seats, marking a significant breakthrough in a state traditionally dominated by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF), according to the IANS. The party capped its performance with a dramatic last-round victory in Kazhakootam. Former Union Minister V Muraleedharan defeated CPI(M) leader Kadakampally Surendran by a narrow margin of just 265 votes. The contest remained closely fought throughout the counting process, with multiple lead changes before Muraleedharan pulled ahead in the final round. Key victories in Nemom and Chathanoor The BJP’s gains were supported by earlier wins in Nemom and Chathanoor. In Nemom, Rajeev Chandrasekhar secured a significant victory, helping the party reclaim a seat it had previously won in 2016 through O Rajagopal, reported the IANS. The constituency had been lost in 2021 to CPI(M) leader V Sivankutty, making this result particularly notable. Meanwhile, in Chathanoor, BB Gopakumar registered the party’s first win of the election cycle by defeating CPI candidate R Rajendran. The …