The public’s approval of the State government’s developmental measures and strong stand against communalism helped the Left Democratic Front secure a thumping victory in the district despite an unholy alliance of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), according to Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] district secretary Anavoor Nagappan.
At a press meet on Friday, he said the people had rejected the lies spread by the Opposition parties and a section of the media.
“The BJP made a public declaration that it will capture power in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Union Minister V. Muraleedharan and BJP State president K. Surendran camped here and co-ordinated an expensive campaign. They had secret understandings with the UDF in many wards. Yet, the BJP could not move forward even an inch in this election. The LDF won despite the organised attacks against the government by the Centre, the investigative agencies, the State BJP, the UDF and some major media houses. No government has had to face so many false allegations,” said Mr. Nagappan.
He said the BJP and the UDF had a secret pact in at least 25 wards in the city Corporation. Citing the case of the Nedumcaud ward, where the LDF’s S. Pushpalatha lost to the BJP’s Ajithkumar, he said the UDF which had polled 1,069 votes here in 2015 secured only 74 votes this time. In many booths, it got fewer than 10 votes. In the PTP Nagar ward, former Deputy Mayor G. Happy Kumar lost by a narrow margin to the BJP’s Girikumar because the UDF’s votes fell from 1,192 in 2015 to 500 this year. He said similar was the case in many wards, including Thirumala and Punnakkamugal.
To look into losses
On the defeats in wards like Kunnukuzhy, where the Mayor hopeful A.G. Oleena was defeated, CPI (M) leader V. Sivankutty said the party would look into the reasons for the loss. The third place secured by the LDF councillor in Sasthamangalam is another case which will be enquired internally.
On the drastic fall in the LDF votes in the Kalady ward, he said the CPI(M) had initially declared another candidate, who even campaigned in the ward. However, it was decided to hand over the seat to Kerala Congress (Mani) group, which might have caused some disillusionment among the local cadre.
On the defeat suffered by outgoing Mayor K. Sreekumar at Karikkakom, Mr. Nagappan said he was fielded in that ward with the intention of recapturing the ward from BJP. However, the plan did not succeed, partly due to the Congress’s alliance with the BJP.
Mayoral candidate
Both leaders remained tight-lipped on questions regarding the LDF’s choice for the Mayor post. Mr. Nagappan said the LDF had in its ranks several councillors capable of handling the post and a suitable candidate would be announced at the right time.
