Momentum in favour of UDF in bypoll, says KPCC chief
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph, MLA, on Sunday said that electoral contests should be seen as part of politics and not as personal rivalry and asserted that the UDF would put up a strong show in the upcoming Nilambur byelection.
Speaking to reporters in Kannur, Mr. Joseph said the UDF had consistently stood with the people against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government, both inside and outside the Assembly.
'We have seen the response of the public in the bypolls at Thrikkakara, Puthuppally and Palakkad. Even in Chelakkara, a stronghold of the LDF, support for the front has waned,' he said.
In past bypolls
Claiming that the momentum was in favour of the UDF, Mr. Joseph said the front had the upper hand in the recent byelections, whether to the Lok Sabha, the Assembly, or local bodies, and expected a similar outcome in Nilambur. He expressed confidence that UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath would secure a decisive victory.
Commenting on the uncertainty around the candidature of P.V. Anvar, the Independent LDF-backed MLA whose resignation necessitated the bypoll, Mr. Joseph said, 'First he said he wouldn't contest, then he changed his mind. His wavering stance is evident.'
On Mr. Anvar's reported meeting with Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, Mr. Joseph clarified that it was not initiated by the Congress or the UDF. 'I believe it was a friendly meeting. Many wish to see a broader unity against the Pinarayi government. Such a sentiment might have resulted in that meeting,' he said.
Mr. Joseph predicted a significant vote share for the UDF in Nilambur and said the verdict would reflect the public's growing discontent with the LDF government.
'The Chief Minister doesn't even have the courage to call this an assessment of his government. The UDF is fully prepared for Nilambur,' he said.
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