Thiruvananthapuram, June 2 (IANS) With veteran Congress leader G. Karthikeyan being elected speaker of the 13th Kerala assembly Thursday, the party-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government survived its first acid test on the floor of the house.
The 62-year-old six-time Congress legislator defeated his Left Democratic Front (LDF)nominee and former electricity minister A.K. Balan by five votes. Karthikeyan got 73 votes while Balan got 68 votes.
