THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At the KPCC office in Thiruvananthapuram, Saturday’s local body poll results felt like a reward long in coming. The Congress headquarters exuded joy as screens lit up with numbers that turned favourable after 15 years. As the results settled, supporters thronged the corridors with sweets, handshakes and unguarded laughter.
Since the 2010 local body elections, the UDF had repeatedly fallen short in both assembly and local polls. Victories were largely limited to the Lok Sabha. However, Saturday’s mandate marked a decisive break from that pattern. KPCC president Sunny Joseph described the verdict as the outcome of collective effort within the front. Thanking party leaders, workers, the public and the media, he said the whole party had worked as one.
“While the party had expected a win, the scale of public support exceeded expectations. It is a strong rejection of the LDF government’s anti-people policies,” Sunny Joseph told reporters. Terming the local body elections a “semifinal”, Sunny showed confidence in the road ahead, predicting a decisive UDF victory in the forthcoming assembly polls.
“The government’s policies and conduct had been exposed early. Controversies like attempt to remove (UDF Muttada candidate) Vyshna’s name, assault on a retired teacher in Kannur, and unscientific ward delimitation backfired on the LDF. This is an indication of the public mood ahead of the assembly elections,” he said.
The Congress state president also accused the government of double standards in implementing its promises and neglecting coastal regions. He also raised criticism over the Sabarimala gold smuggling case.
Commenting on BJP’s victory in Thiruvananthapuram corporation, which is a result that has the potential to steal the UDF’s thunder, senior Congress leader Hassan said the UDF has improved significantly on its previous performance. He alleged that a CPM-BJP nexus had enabled the BJP’s win in the capital, even as the UDF secured more seats compared to the last elections.