Kerala - Alappuzha

`Confusion in candidate selection cost UDF dear'

Staff Reporter

Dheevara Sabha leader says candidates with clean image would have led to UDF victory

ALAPPUZHA: The defeat of United Democratic Front (UDF) in the elections to the State Assembly was mainly because of the confusion in the selection of candidates and not the result of resentment against the State Government, general secretary of Akhila Kerala Dheevara Sabha V. Dinakaran has said.

Mr. Dinakaran said on Friday that some UDF leaders and Ministers against whom there was opposition from within their parties and against whom allegations had been raised failed to win in their strongholds.

At the same time, UDF leaders and Ministers with clean image recorded comfortable wins in their constituencies, Mr. Dinakaran said at a press conference. Mr. Dinakaran said that if the UDF had fielded candidates with clean image in all constituencies, it would have won the elections.

Mr. Dinakaran said the people in the State had approved the work done by CPI (M) leader V.S. Achuthanandan as Leader of the Opposition in the last five years. Mr. Achuthanandan was undoubtedly the best Leader of Opposition the State ever had, said Mr. Dinakaran. "But it remains to be seen how Mr. Achuthanandan would perform if he became the Chief Minister," added Mr. Dinakaran.

He said the UDF had neglected the aspirations of the people in coastal areas and that marred the chances of the front.

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