Congress will now proceed to form the government in the state, sidelining Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala who were the other leaders in the fray for the state’s top post.

The model resembles the “bulldozer” actions seen in UP and other BJP-ruled states, often used against structures occupied by Muslims.

India condemned a recent attack on an Indian-flagged commercial vessel off the coast of Oman, calling the incident “unacceptable”.