BDJS aims a wrench at LDF, UDF

Despite being home to the Left's revolutionary spir it, Alappuzha has never been partial to them. In the 2011 assembly election, the voters painted Alappuzha red, but in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it shifted its allegiance to UDF . In the local body polls held in November 2015, the UDF kept its flag high in several municipalities, while the LDF led in district and village panchayats.
However, this time around both the fronts have been left uneasy, thanks to BDJS candidates under the banner of NDA.
While the LDF is confident of a smooth ride in Alappuzha, Aroor and Mavelikkara, things are a bit hard for them in Ambalappuzha, where G Sudhakaran is facing trouble from own party . Reports say that veteran Marxist V S Achuthanandan and his supporters are not cooperating with Sudhakaran. UDF has fielded Sheikh P Harris, state general secretary of the JD(U) here. Tight contests are on in Kayamkulam and Chengannur, but UDF seems to have an upper hand in Haripad, where home minister Ramesh Chennithala takes on CPI's P Prasad.The LDF has a slight edge in Kuttanad and Cherthala.
Victory has eluded the Left in Alappuzha assembly segment from 1987 to 2011. It wrested the constituency from the UDF in 2011 through T M Thomas Isaac. The UDF has fielded Lali Vincent, against Isaac.
Kayamkulam, where former Alappuzha district panchayat Prathibha Hari of CPM is taking on M Liju of Congress, will witness a tight contest because of BDJS candidate Shaji M Panicker. Ezhava votes are decisive here and all fronts have fielded candidates from that community .
In Chengannur, where Nair votes are decisive, the entry of BJP former state president P S Sreedharan Pillai and Shobhana George (as Congress rebel) has changed the equations. BJP rules a grama panchayat in Chengannur and had got 33, 900 votes in the local body polls. Congress candidate P C Vishnunath is seeking a third term here. The CPM has fielded K K Ramachandran Nair.
In SNDP stronghold Kuttanad, LDF's Thomas Chandy and Jacob Abraham of the Kerala Congress (M) are having tense moments. BDJS national general secretary Subash Vasu is the NDA candidate here.
In Cherthala, sitting MLA P Thilothaman has slight edge over Congress's S Sarath. In Aroor, LDF's A M Ariff, is expecting a cakewalk over UDF's C R Jayaprakash. Mavelikkara's sitting MLA R Rajesh has an edge over Congress's Baiju Kalasala.