THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF aims to regain its foothold in the Thiruvananthapuram corporation by targeting at least 40 seats in the upcoming local body elections. The front’s strength in the council has declined sharply over the past two terms, with its tally dropping from 21 seats in 2016 to just 10 in 2020. This time, the UDF is preparing for a strong triangular contest in the 101-ward council, hoping to re-establish a significant presence in the capital city.
Former MLA and Congress leader K S Sabarinadhan said that the Congress and the UDF are working as a single united force to capture Thiruvananthapuram corporation.
“This time, we have high expectations. The LDF has failed the people in Thiruvananthapuram, and people here are not interested in the divisive politics of the BJP. Voters are well aware that it was the Congress that led almost all major development initiatives in Thiruvananthapuram. Last term’s setback was due to internal issues, and we will not repeat those mistakes. This time, the Congress and the UDF are working in complete coordination,” said Sabarinathan.
Congress has identified serious irregularities in the voters’ list, including duplication across several wards. “The LDF managed to win last time largely due to fake votes, and we have already exposed these discrepancies.
Our agenda for Thiruvananthapuram is clear and city-specific. We will field the best candidates with strong grassroots experience, and we are confident of winning this election. The LDF has completely failed in addressing key civic issues like stray dog menace, recurring waterlogging, and poor implementation of Smart City projects,” added Sabarinathan.
According to UDF leaders, Thiruvananthapuram has immense potential with the Vizhinjam Port, leading academic institutions, and a growing urban landscape and they have a vision to make it one of the best-developed cities globally.
“The coastal ward delimitation has been done in a manner that deliberately weakens the UDF’s prospects. There are serious discrepancies - for instance, nearly 17,000 voters are concentrated in the Beemapally -Poonthura area. Such manipulations will only hurt minorities and poorer sections. They did this to destroy us but people will suffer,” said DCC president N Sakthan.
He said that the UDF will win a minimum of 40 seats and take charge in the corporation. “We have started our ground work well in advance and our committees are functioning like never before. The last two terms we lost seats because of our poor performance at the ground level and last time the pandemic also had an impact,” said Sakthan. “We have already begun groundwork, and there will be no delay - our candidates will be announced immediately after the election notification,” he added.
