The CPI-M on Thursday wrested the Konni assembly constituency in Kerala from the Congress party, which held it for the last 23 years, as party candidate K.U. Jenish emerged victorious with a margin of 9,953 votes, poll officials said.
Congress candidate P. Mohanraj came second and senior BJP leader K. Surendran finished third.
The seat was vacated by former Congress minister Adoor Prakash after he won the Attingal Lok Sabha polls.
Prakash has won every election from Konni since 1996.