THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With hardly a week for the polls the candidates have busy days ahead with the door-to-door campaigning in Attingal municipality. Considered a stronghold of LDF, political parties and independent candidates have been trying hard to impress upon the voters. There are 105 candidates vying for the 31-member municipal council. It includes 55 female and 50 male candidates.
LDF, which announced the candidates’ list ahead of UDF, hopes to repeat the success harping on its current achievements. “There are specific campaigns aimed at highlighting the achievements of the LDF council,” said outgoing municipal chairman, M Pradeep. The UDF camp is under renewed strength following the success of Adoor Prakash in 2019 Lok Sabha elections by unseating LDF strongman A Sampath. “This time we are able to iron out the problems in candidate selection. The anti-incumbency factor will favour UDF,” said M Anilkumar, UDF leader of previous council.
According to him, the campaign had the stamp of the Adoor Prakash from candidate selection to campaign strategy. The Congress leader has been a regular presence in the family meets. The NDA too hopes for improving its tally. “We have given due importance to women. With an active people connect we will be able to achieve the double digit mark,” hopes S Santosh, the BJP strongman in the council. The BJP has fielded three out of the four councillors of 2015.
The major fronts are also vary of the independent candidates s. In Valiyakunnu (ward number 5), there are seven candidates in fray. Apart from one candidate each from major fronts, there is one from BSP and three independent candidates. In all, there are nine independent candidates and one candidate each from BSP, Aam Aadmi Party and Welfare Party in the municipal election.
Previous Council
Total: 31
LDF- 22
UDF- 5
BJP- 4