Thiruvananthapuram: Both BJP and Congress camps assert their respective candidates, P. S. Sreedharan Pillai and D. Vijaya Kumar, will emerge victorious in Chengannur. BJP State general secretary M. T. Ramesh who had been coordinating their campaigning over the last two and a half months said Mr Pillai would lead in five panchayats, Thiruvanv- andoor, Pandanad, Cheriyanad, Venmani and Puliyoor. Congress estimates Kumar's winning margin around 7, 000 votes.
A day after the polling on Monday, the two were busy calculating votes polled in favour of them from 164 booths spread across ten panchayats and a municipality. BJP leaders see strong undercurrents in their favour. Mr Ramesh exuded confidence that Mr Pillai would poll more than 50, 000 votes and win.
“As per statistics available to us, BJP will get a decisive lead in five panchayats. We've given our best in Chengannur," he said.
Mr Pillai claimed that compared to the other two, the BJP managed to bring the maximum of its voters to the polling booth. Congress leader Joseph Vazhakkan, who had been coordinating the campaigning of Mr Kumar, countered them saying thanks to the “good governance” of the LDF, Congress would romp home with a margin of 5000 – 7000 votes, easily.
“CPM played a communal card against Mr Kumar towards the fag end of the campaigning. In the case of BJP, they made a flutter only at the last stage which is not going to make any impact. Congress will get lead in Mannar, Thiruvanvandoor, Mulakuzha and Budhanoor,” he told Deccan Chronicle. He also blamed the CPM of snapping television and internet cables in the constituency to prevent news of the "honour killing" of 23-year-old Kevin P. Joseph reaching them. The Congress camp said the CPM wanted to ensure the Dalit Christian youth’s murder did not reach the colonies where there are more than 25, 000 Dalit votes.
