Congress, BJP hope young will seize left fort in Kasargod

KASARGOD: Kasargod in North Kerala is another Left bastion that the Congress is keen on capturing. The presence of BJP voters in good numbers in the constituency makes it an interesting triangular contest this time. Congress has brought in T Siddique, president of the state unit of Youth Congress to take on sitting MP P Karunakaran of CPI(M). BJP has fielded K Surendran as their candidate from Kasargod.

After fielding young candidates in Kasargod, both Congress and BJP are banking on the youngsters in the constituency to see their candidates through. Congressmen expect the young voters in the constituency to vote for Siddique. DCC president C K Sreedharan said that a large majority of the 1 lakh plus new voters will support Siddique.

“The people here want a change” , he said. The other argument in favour of Congress-led United Democratic Front’s candidate is the development work undertaken in the district by the state government.

“Kasargod is a backward district. And the people here know that it was the present UDF government that has given the region’s economy some important projects” , he said. Rahul Gandhi who visited the constituency also emphasised that youngsters like Siddique can do a lot. Rahul Gandhi’s words that “I want him to sit next to me in the parliament” have given Siddique an edge over the opponents, he added.

Interestingly, Bharathiya Janatha Party (BJP) has also highlighted Surendran’s image as a young, upcoming leader within the state unit of the party. “The stand that he took in the solar scam and the way he pursued the scam have made him popular among the young and the old” , says N K Chandran, spokesman of the BJP office in Kasargod. BJP has just about 1.25 lakh votes in the constituency.

“The Modi wave that is sweeping across the country will have its impact in the constituency also” , says Chandran. Apart from this, Surendran’s rising popularity will give a majority, he says.