Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy speaks at a rally conducted as part of upcoming panchayat elections at Narikkuni in Kozhikode on Monday, October 26, 2015. (Press Trust of India photo)
With just a week left for local body elections in Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front said today that it is expecting a thumping win.
Addressing reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, state Congress chief VM Sudheeran said the UDF is united like never before and is working as a cohesive unit.
"At certain places there are some issues and it has been the same before also. Such things do happen, but unlike in the past, one thing has been made very clear, there will be no truck with any rebel candidate... even if they win, we will not seek their help to take up power," he said.
In the 2010 polls, the UDF for the first time in many years won more than 65 per cent of the more than 20,000 seats that are there in the three tier local body structure in the state.
He said the situation is such that even though it's the polls to the local bodies, it has come to a stage where national issues are being discussed.
"Through this election, we are confident that the people of Kerala will reject the divisive and communal politics being pursued by the BJP/RSS/Sangh Parivar forces," added Mr Sudheeran.
Lashing out at the Communist Party of India-Marxist, he said it all these years has been playing the politics of convenience and none will forget the way how they teamed up with the Janata Party in 1977, then followed it up by propping the then VP Singh government tying up with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"And now they are challenging the people of Kerala by setting new standards, never seen before by fielding murder accused as candidates. The people of Kerala will give a fitting reply to their politics of convenience," said Mr Sudheeran.
The soft-spoken Congress leader, however was caught off guard when he was bombarded with numerous questions on his mellowing down on the earlier tough position taken by him against SNDP Hindu Ezhava leader Vellapally Natesan, who is currently caught on the wrong foot for his over ambitious ploy of trying to join forces with the BJP.
"I have always taken a position of never launching personal attacks on anyone, but I always speak out on issues," said Mr Sudheeran.
"Please understand, this is my nature and am not being soft.. instead I wish to make one more point, while many political leaders have sought favours from people (Natesan) by going to their homes, some of us, have never done such things. If any from our party has done such things, it has been done in broad daylight, unlike the CPI-M leaders, who do it on the sly," he added.