LDF candidate M Vijayakumar meeting voters in Aruvikkara constituency on Saturday. (Photo: DC)
THIRUVANANTHPURAM: With Congress announcing former Speaker late G Karthikeyan’s son K Sabarinathan as UDF candidate, battle lines are now drawn between the two major fronts for the crucial Aruvikkara by election. LDF candidate M. Vijayakumar sought to play down UDF decision to field Sabarinathan. “It is their internal matter. First they were planning to field M.T. Suelkah and now they have decided on her son. But in such an important contest candidates don’t matter. It is a fight between UDF and LDF and a purely political fight at that,” he told reporters.
Vijayakumar launched his campaign in the constituency on Saturday. He visited market places, shops and business establishments, auto stands and bus stops seeking votes from various sections of society.
Though the LDF camp believes that Sulekha would have been a formidable rival, it is not taking Sabarinathan lightly. Karthikeyan’s son is a new entrant to politics with just a brief experience of being a KSU activist in college, but the opposition is not ready to take any chances. Despite having a candidate like Vijayakumar who is a seasoned politician with rich political, administrative and public service experience, left leaders feel there is no room for complacency.
The left camp is expecting entire Congress leadership led by CWC member A K Antony to unleash Karthikeyan’s legacy during the campaign to create a sympathy wave. According to Left leaders, the UDF strategy would be to raise the legacy issue prominently to skirt serious political issues like lack of development in the constituency, corruption cases including bargate and solar fraud.
Meanwhile, LDF state leadership will meet on Sunday to finalise the campaign strategy for the Aruvikkara by-poll. The opposition believes that the support extended by R Balakrishna Pillai and P C Georege decision to field a candidate, will have a positive impact. Both these factors will go against the UDF, they claim.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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