Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Only a technical victory for LDF, say UDF leaders

Special Correspondent

Result a reflection of disaffection to the ruling front: Chennithala

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday said that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) had been able to secure only a technical victory in Thiruvambadi by-election.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Chennithala said the election results indicated that the United Democratic Front (UDF) was on the comeback trail and reflected the increasing disaffection of the people with the LDF rule. He said several minority communities had strongly voted against the UDF in 2006 Assembly elections. The vote pattern showed that many were returning to the UDF fold, though this process was not yet complete. He said the electorate of Thiruvambadi showed that they were not mere tools in the hands of those forces that believed that they controlled the communal forces.

Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy said the UDF had secured a political victory as against the technical win by the LDF on the strength of the slender margin its candidate got in Thiruvambadi.

Addressing a press conference, he said the UDF had campaigned unitedly and in a disciplined manner. The LDF on the other hand misused Government machinery during the campaign flouting several directives of the Election Commission. It also went played the communal card. When the LDF leadership felt that the going was tough, it inducted NCP leader K. Karunakaran in the campaign. The CPI(M) State Secretary had to rope in Mr. Karunakaran to taken on what he calls a weak UDF, Mr. Chandy said.

He said the LDF had secured 5,470-vote margin in the 2006 Assembly election with the erstwhile DIC(K) in the UDF camp. It could not make much headway even though the DIC(K) had transformed into NCP.

Mr. Chennithala said the onus was on the CPI(M) and LDF leadership to clarify whether the additional 3,000 votes the front got out of the 13,000 new votes cast this time was that of the NCP supporters. He said election outcome would trigger off dissension in the LDF and the popular resentment would be on the rise in the coming days.

In reply to the allegation that the UDF too had played the communal card, Mr. Chandy said the Opposition coalition did not use Abdul Nasir Maudany or Saddam or the Jamat-e-Islami to garner votes. He said the elections had been conducted in a free and fair manner.

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