THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With only hours left for counting, the UDF camp is upbeat about improving its position across the state in the three-tier local body polls, but it does not have high hopes on wresting Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.Despite the plethora of corruption charges and the sensational gold smuggling case against the LDF Government, the poor candidature by the Thiruvananthapuram DCC leadership in at least two dozen wards among the 100 divisions is going to prove crucial for them. This is happening at a time when the prevalent political atmosphere is in favour of the UDF.
Against 71.9 % polling in 2015, the capital city registered only 69.72% in the local body polls this time. The Congress leadership feels that this is a decent polling percentage amid the pandemic. If the CPM and the BJP had started their homework towards the local body polls much in advance, Congress lagged way behind citing Covid-19. But the major allegation against the Opposition is that if the remaining two parties can gear up their party machineries during the pandemic, the Congress too could have taken a cue from them. UDF convener M M Hassan told TNIE that the UDF lagged behind in planning towards the local body elections.
For the first time, the KPCC leadership gave the nod to the Thiruvananthapuram DCC leadership to choose the candidate list which went awry to a certain extent. If the polling outcome goes against the Opposition, senior Congress leaders are expected to take cudgels against the factional group managers, KPCC general secretary Thampanoor Ravi and V S Sivakumar, MLA, for fielding weak candidates.
In at least two dozen wards, the fight is directly between the LDF and the BJP. However, Thiruvananthapuram DCC president Neyyatinkara Sanal exuded confidence of winning 40 seats in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. “I am confident that UDF will win 40 seats where we have put up a formidable fight against the LDF and the BJP as compared to the 2015 results which saw us being pushed to a mere 21 wards,” he said.