Kerala Assembly Elections: Leaders confident of winning polls

KOCHI: With Assembly elections a couple of days ahead, district leaders of the CPM, Congress and BJP expressed supreme confidence in the victory to their respective parties. Yet, when the leaders came together to meet the press, there was the usual squabbling over ‘secret alliance’.

At the ‘Meet the Press’ programme organised by the Ernakulam Press Club on Thursday, the Congress and CPM leaders criticised each other for having secret alliance with the BJP. “This time the UDF, which secured 11 seats in 2001, will be able to win all the 14 constituencies in Ernakulam. Each day, we've been getting encouraging reports from all parts of the district. Winning chances of each candidate has increased by many folds,” said DCC president V.J. Paulose.

Expressing confidence over improving its tally this time, CPM district committee secretary P. Rajeev said that voters have accepted all the candidates of LDF and the general sentiment against corruption will reflect in the people’s verdict. “In 2006, LDF made a stunning comeback with nine seats after winning only 1 seat in 2001. We expect such a victory time around,” Mr Rajeev said.

On his part, BJP district leader Adv. K.S. Shaiju said that the NDA candidates would be able to make surprising victories in several constituencies. “Since the NDA has members who were part of other political parties, the UDF and LDF could not claim definite victory. BJP has been functioning in a very systematic way in the district,” he said.

But Mr Paulose said the main battle was between the UDF and the LDF and NDA is not a major contestant. “For the first time, voters in the state are going to give mandate to the UDF for a consecutive second term,” he said.