Thiruvananthapuram: 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.
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.
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
"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.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
CPI(M) To Contest 15 Lok Sabha Seats In Kerala, Ally CPI 4, Says Left Congress-Led UDF, CPM Have History Of "Corruption, Scams": PM Modi In Kerala "His Soul Won't Forgive": Court On MLA's Petition Over Oommen Chandy Case Over 300 Indian Students Return As Quota Row Sparks Violence In Bangladesh "Jindal Group Executive Showed Porn, Groped Me On Flight": Woman To NDTV Curfew In Bangladesh, Military On Streets After 105 Die In Clashes CrowdStrike: All About The Cybersecurity Giant Behind Global IT Outage Uttar Pradesh Gets Lucknow-State Capital Region On The Lines Of Delhi-NCR The Situation At Delhi, Mumbai Airports Day After Global IT Outage Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.