Congress, CPI-M in Kerala Exudes Confidence of Victory

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress and CPI-M in Kerala on Friday expressed confidence about their victory in the May 16 assembly polls and claimed BJP will draw a blank in the state this time also.

"After the last leg of campaign, the impression I got was that UDF would get majority for continuation of the present UDF government," CWC member and former Defence Minister AK Antony told a meet the press programme here.

CPI-M led LDF would have to sit in the opposition benches and BJP, even after high profile campaign by its host of leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would remain at "zero" in the assembly, Antony said.

"People are going to vote against the murder politics of CPI-M and communal politics of BJP," Antony said, adding, "People wanted the development works started by the UDF to continue".

"Besides this, the clear cut liquor policy of UDF to have total prohibition in 10 years time and closed foreign liquor bars would not be opened would have good impact among the voters especially women electorates," Antony said.

Blaming the CPI-M for "pursuing murder politics" in the state, he said the party has not changed a bit even after the brutal murder of RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan in 2012, allegedly by CPI-M activists.

To a question on the corruption charges against the UDF government, Antony said "they are only allegations and no charge has been proved so far."

Antony also said there was no 'Modi' effect in Kerala and whatever impact Modi made during his first leg of campaign was lost with his 'Kerala-Somalia' remark.

Meanwhile, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury claimed that LDF would have a landslide victory.

BJP would not open an account, but alleged that even if saffron party makes entry into assembly, it will be because of match-fixing between BJP and Congress, said Yechury

"BJP will not win a single seat. If at all they win...thanks to Congress," Yechury told a meet the press programme. Taking dig at Prime Minister, Yechury said the states where Modi had campaigned in the last two years, BJP has lost.

"The same thing will happen here also", he said

CPI-M leader condemned clean chit given to Malegaon terror accused by the NIA and said Modi government has compromised "India's fight against terrorism".

"It was part of BJP's Hindutva agenda," he alleged.

To a question, he said CPI-M would decide who would be the Chief Minister after the poll results were announced.