The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has accused the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of an unholy nexus in at least four divisions of the Kochi Corporation, in which the saffron party has “refrained from fielding candidates in three and instead allotted them to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituent Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) to help the UDF.”
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, former Mayor and the LDF’s election committee general convener M. Anilkumar said that though a close contest is under way in all four divisions — Elamakkara South, Kaloor North, Kunnumpuram and Ponnurunni East — the LDF will win all of them despite the alleged unholy alliance. He added that the LDF will also secure a simple majority in the Corporation, unlike in the last term.
“The BJP has an assured 500 votes in Elamakkara South, despite which the division has been assigned to the BDJS, which is hardly doing any campaigning there. Significantly, the division also houses the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh office. The same is the case with the Kaloor North division, where the UDF constituent Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is contesting. A similar nexus is at work in Kunnumpuram division, though the contest is not tight there and we will win it easily ” said Mr. Anilkumar.
In Ponnurunni East, Sunitha Dixon, who has been a UDF councillor for two terms from the neighbouring Vyttila division, is the BJP candidate. “One would have expected the UDF to field a strong candidate on the Congress symbol to defeat her. Instead, the UDF has fielded a candidate on the RSP ticket — and that too someone who won on CPI(M) ticket two decades ago and has since been ousted from the party. This is to facilitate the victory of the BJP candidate. People will see through this unholy nexus and reject it,” said Mr. Anilkumar.
‘Four factors’
He said that the LDF is confident of victory in the Corporation due to four factors. The UDF may lose divisions where its constituents are contesting, since the Congress and its voters are apprehensive that if an ally like the IUML secures additional seats, it may resort to bargaining. He claimed that everyone has accepted that the Corporation witnessed large-scale development during the last LDF term, prompting the BJP to usurp credit by claiming that Central assistance made it possible, while the UDF claims those development projects were originally their dreams.
CPI district assistant secretary M.M. George was also present at the press meet.
Published – December 06, 2025 04:47 pm IST
