The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) will win big in the local body polls in the district, District Congress Committee (DCC) president M. Liju has said.
Mr. Liju says the UDF is poised to wrest the Alappuzha district panchayat from the Left Democratic Front (LDF) for the first time in its history.
“We will end the LDF’s dominance in the district panchayat. We are confident of winning 16 seats out of 23. The favourable political atmosphere, winnable candidates, clubbed with the LDF’s failure to live up to the expectations all these years will deliver the local body to the UDF,” the DCC president told The Hindu.
He says the UDF has high expectations in municipalities, block panchayats, and grama panchayats.
“In 2015, we won four out of the six municipalities. This election, we will wrest Mavelikara and Kayamkulam municipalities, while retaining Alappuzha, Cherthala, Haripad and Chengannur. Of the block panchayats, the UDF will emerge victorious in eight. We will be voted to power in at least 40 grama panchayats in the district,” Mr. Liju says.
Candidate selection
The DCC president says a controversy-free candidates’ selection has boosted the UDF’s chances in the district.
“Compared to the previous elections, the number of rebel candidates is relatively small,” he says, adding several Congress district leaders contracting COVID-19 in the run-up to the polls has not impacted the UDF’s prospects.
According to Mr. Liju, Ministers from the district have failed to contribute to the development of Alappuzha. “The LDF government is engulfed in controversies. They tried to highlight the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board as a big achievement on the development front. But it has all fallen apart after wrongdoings in the Keala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board came to the light. Despite having members from Alappuzha in the State Cabinet, the district has not seen much development. All these things will be reflected in the polls,” the DCC president says.
He says that it will be largely a direct fight between UDF and LDF in the district.
“In several wards, LDF and BJP have reached a secret pact to defeat the UDF. But still, it is going to be a direct fight between the UDF and LDF in majority of the seats,” Mr. Liju says.
