Kerala Opposition leader denounces media pre-poll surveys predicting LDF victory

Kerala Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala slammed the media for publishing pre-poll survey results predicting LDF's victory. He stated that the media is supporting the LDF in return for the advertisements they received.

Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala denounced the survey results predicting the Left Democratic Front's victory and said it is all wrong. Speaking at a press meet on Sunday, Ramesh Chennithala said, the media is conducting surveys and publishing results in favour of the government to destroy him and the United Democratic Front.

Lashing out at the media publishing pre-poll survey results, he said, the media in Kerala have been into mean tactics that may seem to be neutral and unbiased. He alleged that the media is supporting the LDF in return for the advertisements that they got worth many crores.

More than three pre-poll surveys have been conducted by various media houses in Kerala ahead of the elections and the results have been released. The surveys were conducted jointly by mainstream media houses and expert survey agencies through opinion polls to predict the results of the Assembly elections.

While all the pre-poll surveys came up with the prediction that the Left government would go for a second term in Kerala, the only difference between the initial surveys and the latest ones is that there has been a decrease in the number of seats predicted to be won by the Left.

It is also to be noted that the political parties have carefully chosen their candidates after considering the survey results that were published already.

While there are only a few days left for the Assembly elections in the State, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) have released their election manifestos. Kerala is still waiting for the manifesto from the BJP led NDA. It is being hinted that the NDA’s election manifesto would feature employment, development projects without taking debts and protection of religious faith among other tall promises.

The High Court is to intervene on the rejection of nominations filed by the NDA candidates. The candidates from Thalassery and Guruvayur constituencies, whose nominations were rejected by the electoral officers, have moved the High Court seeking an urgent intervention on their plea.

The Election Commission has stated that the Court should not interfere with the election process before the results are announced. The Commission said, such an intervention could affect the free and fair conduct of the elections. Meanwhile, the High Court which had a special sitting on Sunday said that all the related pleas would be considered on Monday.

The allegations and counter-allegations over alleged ‘discreet pacts with the BJP’ after the rejection of NDA candidates’ nominations in places where the NDA votes are thought to be crucial, continued between the LDF and the UDF, on Sunday.

The LDF leaders lashed out saying the Congress- Muslim League- BJP agreement is very strong. The LDF candidates in the three constituencies where the NDA nominations were rejected, the sitting seats of CPM -Thalassery, Guruvayur and Devikulam, alleged that the ‘discreet pact’ is to ‘shift’ the BJP vote share to the UDF, with no candidate for the BJP.

The same allegation is raised by Congress-led UDF on the other hand. The UDF leaders alleged that the BJP and the CPM are in a secret deal. BJP national leader who was in Kerala Meenakshi Lekhi denied all such allegations. Meenakshi Lekhi said the BJP can never enter any deal with the CPM at any time.

As the poll campaigns heat up, the BJP and the UDF are trying to stir up the Sabarimala women entry issue more vigorously. The BJP campaign at Kazhakkoottam, where Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran is the LDF candidate, is centred on the protection of religious faith.

BJP leader K Surendran, an NDA candidate at the Konni constituency in the Pathanamthitta district, said Pinarayi and his team are trying to make Sabarimala a battlefield yet again. He said, Minister Kadakampally Surendran and CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran have been insulting Sabarimala again.