BJP sees prospect of capturing Corpn.

‘Tally to improve in other local bodies’

As the campaign for the 2020 edition of the local body polls winds down, V.V. Rajesh, district president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, exuded confidence that his party would capture the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and spring surprises in the grama panchayats and municipalities as well.

Voters who seek the development of the capital city would vote for the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr. Rajesh said on Saturday.

In 2015, the party had won 35 seats in the 100-ward Corporation. “It should be noted that we also stood second in several of the wards. We lost them by thin margins. That, and the fact that the CPI(M)-LDF has done nothing whatsoever for the development of the capital city vastly improves our prospects. Every voter who wants development, the development of the Thiruvananthapuram airport included, will vote for us,” Mr. Rajesh, who himself is contesting from the Poojappura ward, said.

Optimum mix

This time, the BJP has chosen to field as candidates a combination of seasoned hands and young faces, a decision that is expected to resonate with voters in Thiruvananthapuram, especially the younger generation.

Mr. Rajesh accused the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) of forming a nexus to defeat the BJP’s prospects in the Corporation. “They have formed an unholy alliance to defeat us in 21 Corporation wards. The move was initiated by the IUML to make sure that the BJP does not come to power in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation,” Mr. Rajesh said.

While the BJP campaign in Thiruvananthapuram is garnering all the media attention, the party expects to put up a good show in the grama panchayats and the four municipalities in the district, he said.

“We are confident of coming to power in many of the panchayats. In others, the BJP will be the main opposition party. In 80% of the panchayats we will be either the ruling party or the Opposition,” he said.

“The election campaign of the CPI(M) has been disappointing. The Congress, on its part, has lost all hope,” Mr. Rajesh said.