NDA more confident than other fronts

Front will make giant strides in the polls in the district: BJP

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) seems to be more confident than any other political fronts when it comes to improving their tally this time compared to the 2015 local body elections.

Speaking to The Hindu , BJP district president M.V. Gopakumar said he foresees a huge political transformation in the district with the NDA set to gain immensely in the local body polls. “Alappuzha is known as a CPI(M) bastion. That is about to change. People have started to accept the development agenda of the NDA government at the Centre. There is also a realisation among the voters that there is hardly any difference between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and United Democratic Front (LDF). Like in other parts of the State, the NDA will make giant strides in the polls in the district,” Mr. Gopakumar said.

The BJP president said the NDA would come to power in three municipalities and a number of grama panchayats and block panchayats in the district. “After the 2015 elections, the BJP assumed power at the Thiruvanvandoor grama panchayat after emerging as the single-largest party. But the LDF and the UDF joined hands to oust us. The Thiruvanvandoor model is being implemented in other parts of the district. The only way the LDF and the UDF can defeat the BJP is by joining forces. They have reached understandings in several wards and divisions,” he said.

Mr. Gopakumar said that the alternating rule of the LDF and the UDF had failed in ensuring the all-round development of the district.

“The pain caused by the floods in Kuttanad could have been avoided if the Kuttanad package was implemented properly. But the funds allocated by the Centre were misused. After the floods, a number of announcements have been made in regard to eco restoration and welfare of the people of Kuttanad. But nothing has happened. Same goes to the protection of coastal areas and people living there, the coir sector and so on,’’ he said.

“The LDF government came to power promising to take over the Excel Glasses factory, but it is now put up for sale. The LDF government allowed mineral-sand mining at Thottappally, a panchayat ruled by the UDF. We have raised all these issues in the campaign in a bid to expose both the fronts. We are getting positive responses from the people and it will be reflected in the polls,” he said, adding that there was no point in the LDF and the UDF taking credit for the Alappuzha bypass as the project was revived under the NDA rule.