Kerala - Kollam   

LDF, UDF confident of winning in Kollam

Staff Reporter

DIC(K) hopes to route UDF in key divisions of corporation

WAR OF WORDS: The leaders of the BJP, UDF, LDF and DIC(K), (from left) Kizhakanela Sudhakaran, Sooranad Rajashekaran, K. Rajagopal and K. Karunakaran Pillai at a debate on the local bodies elections in Kollam on Tuesday.

KOLLAM: Both the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) express confidence on coming to power in the Kollam Corporation. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to function as a responsible opposition party, the Democratic Indira Congress (DIC(K) is not only confident of winning some divisions but also confident of routing the UDF. At a debate organised by the Kollam Press Club on Tuesday, this was how the leaders of the UDF, LDF, BJP and DIC(K) predicted the results of the September 24 elections.

Sooranad Rajashekaran, DCC president and chairman of the UDF district coordination committee, said that the anti-people rule of the district panchayat and the Kollam corporation during the past five years by itself ensures the victory of the UDF in the district. He challenged the LDF to point out at least a single development programme they had implemented during the five-year rule either in Kollam corporation or in the district.

But CPI(M) district secretary K. Rajagopal pointed out that being a new corporation, the LDF faced some limitations in fulfilling some of the promises. Yet, a strong foundation for the fulfilment of these promises had been made. He said that during the campaigns, the LDF has been able to gauge a wind in its favour.

This was visible not only at the Kollam Corporation but even at the two municipalities and the three-tier bodies. He said that the UDF failed miserably in even maintaining many of those local bodies where it had won and come to power in 2000. These local bodies were now under LDF rule not through any horse trading but caused by infighting in the UDF, Mr. Rajagopal said. He also said that between the UDF and the DIC(K), the LDF hopes for the victory of the latter.

District general secretary of the BJP, Kizhakanela Sudhakaran, said that his party was going to the voters with a development agenda and was hopeful of having representations in 75 per cent of the local bodies in the district. In fact, the main aim of the BJP in this election was to ensure representation in the maximum number of local bodies.

He said that the BJP has not entered into any understanding with any front or political party. "Our aim is to sit and function as a responsible opposition," he said adding that the rule of all the local bodies during the past five years was a total failure.

District president of the DIC(K) K. Karunakaran Pillai said that the main aim of his party was to ensure the total defeat of the UDF in general and the Congress in particular.

Feedbacks from the field makes the DIC(K) confident in many divisions and wards, he said. In fact, the party was confident of having good support from the people and hopeful that it will emerge as a strong party after the September 24 elections, he added

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