THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On the eve of counting of votes polled in the local body elections, the Left leadership in the state capital is fully confident of retaining power in the city corporation, district panchayat and four municipalities. Though there was some initial apprehension about the corporation, the LDF assesses that it would win anything between 45 and 55 seats, which may even go up to 60.
The Left leadership is of the view that the BJP won’t be able to repeat its previous performance.
The UDF has made gains in certain pockets and hence could come second. This time around, there was no major cross voting from the UDF to the BJP, they said. “Unlike last time, the UDF votes haven’t gone to the saffron party. In the capital city, the Congress has a considerable vote share. Last time, there was vote trade between the Congress and the BJP. That’s how the BJP increased its seats and vote share. That’s evident from the vote percentage in 2015. In many wards the BJP won, the Congress votes went down considerably,” pointed out a senior CPM leader.
The CPI, which contested 17 seats in the city corporation, calculates that its tally will not fall below nine seats.“In many places, other than coastal areas, direct fights were witnessed between the Left and the BJP. However, in the last lap of campaigning, the UDF was active in many wards. The LDF could win about 60 seats,” said a CPI leader.
Going by the current assessment, the Left front is expected to make major gains in block panchayats and grama panchayats. The increased polling percentage has added to the front’s confidence. The Left has already identified a couple of names for the Mayor’s post should it retain power.