Minority extremist forces aided UDF victory in Palakkad, allege LDF, BJP

IUML says Mamkootathil’s majority shows that people have endorsed UDF policies

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were quick to blame it on the minority extremist forces for the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s sterling victory in the Palakkad Assembly byelection.

BJP president K. Surendran accused the UDF of aligning with the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political wing Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). He said it was an unholy deal among the UDF, the SDPI and the Jamat-e-Islami that helped Rahul Mamkootathil win in Palakkad.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretary M.V. Govindan and district secretary E.N. Suresh Babu too alleged that it was the SDPI and the Jamat-e-Islami that helped the UDF triumph in Palakkad.

‘Rainbow front’

“It was the rainbow front that helped the UDF. It was the SDPI which started celebrating the UDF victory even before the results were out,” they said separately.

Describing LDF Independent P. Sarin as a good candidate who gave a neck-and-neck fight to the UDF and BJP, Mr. Govindan said that it was because of Dr. Sarin that the CPI(M) could close its vote gap with the BJP. Dr. Sarin too claimed that he could increase the LDF vote share by nearly 1,000. The UDF could now make the SDPI a member of the front, he said.

BJP candidate C. Krishnakumar claimed that his party had retained its vote base in the Palakkad municipality. “However, we will examine the defeat,” he said.

The BJP candidate said the former BJP spokesperson Sandeep Varier had made no impact in the election results. “No Varier or Nair could do anything to us,” said Mr. Krishnakumar.

‘Poor candidate selection’

Mr. Varier blamed Mr. Krishnakumar’s defeat on the BJP’s poor candidate selection and held the party State president responsible for it. He said the BJP had no candidate other than Mr. Krishnakumar for all posts, from milk society to Parliament. “The people of Palakkad have destroyed the BJP-CPI(M) deal of communal politics,” he said.

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State president Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal said Mr. Mamkootathil overcame all smear campaigns against him. “His majority shows that the people endorsed the UDF policies,” he said.

‘An affront to voters’

IUML national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty described the CPI(M) comment about ‘rainbow alliance’ as insulting the voters. “People will laugh at the CPI(M) secretary’s comments. Look at that toxic advertisement that the LDF placed on the Sunni papers on the election eve. It proved futile. The CPI(M) must be regretting now,” he said.

Published - November 23, 2024 08:41 pm IST