Senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala dismissed Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullapally Ramachandran’s statement regarding UDF’s supposed plan to seek LDF support to defeat BJP in Manjeshwaram. According to Chandy, the UDF can defeat the saffron party in Manjeshwaram with any LDF support.
“UDF was successful in defeating BJP in the previous polls and we will repeat the victory this time around too. Defeating the BJP is Congress’ main aim; we are not ready for any compromise with BJP,” said Chandy.
Mullappally, while addressing the media in Kannur, had seemingly indirectly hinted that the LDF should team up with the UDF to defeat the saffron party candidate in Manjeshwaram – K Surendran, who is BJPs’ state president.
Like in Nemom, the BJP has a significant presence in Manjeshwaram. Here the fight is between the IUML and the BJP. This time the IUML has fielded AKM Ashraf, who hails from the constituency. According to Mullapally, the CPI (M) Manjeshwaram candidate VV Rameshan, is “weak.” In the 2016 assembly election, Surendran lost the election with a wafer-thin margin of 89 votes.
