LDF on strong wicket in most places

By C. Gouridasan Nair

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPT. 3. Reports from different parts of the State suggest that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is on a strong wicket in a majority of the local bodies after having gone through a major part of the seat-sharing exercise without too many glitches.

It is not that everything is fine in the LDF camp. There is the problem district, Kasaragod, where the CPI(M) and CPI are yet to arrive at a mutually-acceptable formula for sharing seats in several panchayats. The situation is not so rosy in Ernakulam either on account of the challenge from CPI(M) dissidents in many parts of the district. But, by and large, the CPI(M) and its allies present the image of a more cohesive coalition than their rivals as the major contenders approach the deadline for withdrawal of nominations tomorrow.

The CPI(M) State secretary, Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, himself has been in Kasaragod for the last two days to tie-up the loose ends and find an amicable solution for the competing demands of the CPI(M) and CPI. Kasaragod is also crucial in the CPI(M) calculations as this is the one district where the party has decided to go in for tactical adjustments with the Indian National League (INL) and where it expects the BJP and the Congress(I) to put up a joint fight against it in several panchayats.

The LDF has clinched a seat-sharing deal in the Kozhikode municipal corporation and district panchayat. Election is being held only in 16 divisions in the corporation. In the Kottayam District Panchayat, the CPI(M), CPI and Kerala Congress (J), Janata Dal and NCP have arrived at a seat-sharing agreement. A final picture is fast emerging in several municipalities in Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts. LDF leaders are not under- estimating the Congress(I)-led UDF or the BJP. They have already taken note of the way tensions have eased in the UDF camp after the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. A.K. Antony's bid to mollify the senior Congress(I) leader, Mr. K. Karunakaran, and their collective bid to take on the Chief Minister, Mr. E.K. Nayanar, who has already come under fire for an inadvertent remark about the quality of Chief Ministers the State has so far had. The CPI(M) State secretary has come out strongly in Mr. Nayanar's defence suggesting that the party would not let him down.

The LDF leaders are reconciled to the possibility of the BJP getting more votes and seats than it did last time and feel that there could be tactical adjustments between the BJP and Congress(I) in many borderline panchayats after the polls to keep the LDF out of power. They anticipate such developments particularly in some of the local bodies in the Central Travancore area.

Surprisingly, the much-talked about tie-up with the Indian Union Muslim League appears to be not so widespread as one had expected when the CPI(M) leadership decided to tread what many seemed to consider a risky path. Of course, there are panchayats in Malappuram district where the CPI(M) and the Muslim League have joined hands, but in most cases this is meant to spite the Congress(I). Despite their State-level alliance, the Muslim League and the Congress(I) have not been on exactly cordial terms in the district for a long time now.

The LDF leadership is giving finishing touches to a broad policy statement which it proposes to issue on September 5. The LDF leadership is planning to set the agenda for the poll campaign by listing the achievements of the People's Campaign for the Ninth Plan and laying down the broad parameters of the policy and programmatic initiatives it has in mind once the new panchayat committees get down to business. What this implies is that the LDF's would be a positive campaign with development at the grassroots as its focal point.

As many as 1.09 lakh nominations have been filed for elections to the three-tier local bodies. Over 86,000 candidates have filed nominations in the grama panchayats, 9,000-odd in block panchayats, nearly 1,800 in district panchayats, over 9,500 in municipalities and around 2,600 in municipal corporations. The scrutiny of nominations has been completed. Around one lakh candidates are likely to remain in fray once the withdrawal of nominations ends on Monday.

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