Congress report predicts 72-76 seats for UDF

Thiruvananthapuram: Though exit polls predicted an LDF win in the state assembly elections on Monday, there was one Congress leader supremely confident about UDF retaining power -- chief minister Oommen Chandy.

The chief minister, who was busy collecting reports from each constituency, told the leaders who called him not to worry. "He has the same confidence he had during the Lok Sabha elections," said a close confidant. Sources close to Chandy said that he received reports from the state police special branch and party units in each constituency by Monday night. Based on this, a report was prepared in consultation with KPCC president V M Sudheeran and sent to the AICC headquarters.

The report said there was no anti-incumbency wave in the state and the UDF would get between 72 and 76 seats. Even though the UDF might lose a few seats in the southern districts, the report submitted by the KPCC said that it would wrest back some seats from the LDF in the northern districts. It also said that the IUML would retain all its seats. The report also pointed out that the NDA would not open account in Kerala.

The BJP has already alleged cross voting between UDF and LDF in many constituencies. "They are worried that they will not be able to open an account this time also. Hence they are levelling such allegations," said home minister Ramesh Chennithala.

But Sudheeran said there was a drastic change towards the end of campaigning and it was a direct fight between the Congress and NDA in certain constituencies. Hence, there are chances of the NDA candidates coming second in these constituencies.

Meanwhile, Kerala Congress leader K M Mani reiterated that he was confident of a win. "The people of Pala love me and I love them too. I will win with a good majority," Mani said on Tuesday. He played down exit poll surveys and said he believed the UDF would win more than 75 seats.

Meanwhile, independent candidate in Poonjar, P C George, said Mani would lose by 10,000 votes. He also expressed confidence on securing a win in Poonjar by a margin of 40,000 votes. George declared on Tuesday that he had severed all ties with Secular Party and that he would from a new political outfit, called the Janapaksha Party.