Thiruvananthapuram: Rubbishing CPM allegations of a clandestine understanding between the Congress and the BJP in the coming assembly polls, senior Congress leader A K Antony said that his party is aiming at a BJP-free assembly in Kerala. "Though the BJP is the main rival of the Congress party at the national level, the contest for power in Kerala is still between the UDF and the LDF ," he said, predicting a neck-and-neck race.
Addressing a news conference here on Saturday , ahead of his whirlwind tour of 14 districts, to begin from Kasaragod on Sunday , Antony said the Kerala elections is a do-or-die battle for the Congress. "The Congress party is slowly reviving itself nationally , and a win in Kerala at this juncture would weaken the communal agenda of the BJP and the RSS," he said.Asked to give an honest assessment on the prospects of the UDF in the coming elections, the Congress leader said he thought LDF had an edge a few weeks ago. "But, now both the fronts have equal chances. The UDF, however, would surge ahead in the final lap," he said.
Antony said the main agenda was to protect the existing religious harmony in the state. "Kerala made a big leap forward in the fields of development, social security, welfare and care during the last five years, and we need to enhance the tempo of this development. Besides, this election is also a fight against the political violence unleashed by the CPM and the BJP. Even now they are talking about settling scores," he said.
The `camping' of BJP's senior leaders in the state is aimed at "implementing the party's main agenda of communal polarization," Antony said. BJP's another aim was to destroy Congress, "the only national party which can spoil their plans," and to build a "Congress-free India". "Their agenda is to remove Congress from power in Kerala. But it's still not a force here. We want another BJP-free assembly in Kerala," he said.