Cloud over inner-city seats shocks Greens

Greens leader Samantha Ratnam has told Victorian party faithful to hold tight for key inner city seats while the party's Richmond candidate has conceded defeat.

Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam speaks to the media.

Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam says Labor followed their policy lead. (AAP)

They were touted as possible kingmakers but the Greens have emerged from Victoria's election facing the prospect of a weaker presence in parliament.

Leader Samantha Ratnam had been eyeing a balance-of-power in both houses of Spring Street, but a resounding result for Labor means they will govern in majority.

The minor party's hopes of unseating Labor incumbent and minister Richard Wynne in the seat of Richmond was unsuccessful.

ABC election analyst Antony Green also tipped the Greens to lose the seat of Northcote, which it has only held for a year after winning a by-election.

The Greens were on track to hold the seat of Melbourne, he added.

Ms Ratnam congratulated Mr Andrews.

"It is fantastic to see so many of the issues that have been championed by the Greens adopted by the Andrews government in this campaign and embraced by Victorians," she said.

At a post-election function in Melbourne there were tears as reality hit, although Ms Ratnam said it was too close to call the seats of Prahran and Brunswick.

Both she and Australian Greens leader Richard Di Natale welcomed voters' rejection of the Liberal-Nationals tough-on-crime agenda.

"What we have seen is Victorians comprehensively reject a really awful campaign based on law and order, trying to divide the Australian community," the senator said.

It was a tough campaign for the Greens, who battled a number of scandals and criticism from the major parties.

Footscray candidate Angus McAlpine came under fire for misogynistic rap lyrics and sexual assault allegations were levelled against Sandringham candidate Dominic Phillips.

"The Greens are proud of the positive campaign we have run in the face of enormous pressure and mudslinging," Ms Ratnam said.

Mr Andrews had repeatedly rejected her calls to consider joining forces for a power-sharing arrangement in minority government.

As the Greens were swamped by repeated controversy, the premier slammed the minor party's culture.

Ms Ratnam holds high hopes for the Greens in the upper house, where results might not be known for several days.


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Source: AAP



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