Thiruvananthapuram wakes up to a triangular contest

Neither corruption nor devel opment is the debate in this constituency which is the nerve centre of governance.Voters here are more or less indifferent to the campaign issues that are hot topics in other parts of the state.
While this has sparked worries among campaign managers, another tricky component that has come up is the unusual communal polarization which is building up in the constituency .The contest is likely to be decided on how the Hindus and Latin Catholics vote. The constituency is witnessing a triangular contest with BJP candidate S Sreesanth catching up with his rivals despite a late start on the campaign front.
Congress candidate V S Sivakumar is banking on the things he did during his tenure as the health minister. “The development of hospitals, roads, drainage system and civic works has endeared me to the public,“ he said.The Rs 35 crore given as treatment expense to the people of this constituency , the Rs 200 crore spent on the development of hospitals here, Sivakumar has a long list at hand.
But, LDF candidate Antony Raju, who had represented the constituency earlier, had another story to tell.“There is an LDF wave in the state and it will wipe out UDF in all constituencies in the district. The anti-incumbency wave is at its peak because voters had witnessed the Front's wrongdoings,“ he said, adding that the people in coastal areas and Muslims will favour him.
Raju, who hails from the Latin community , has a considerable clout among the clergy and the laity . “He is a friend of the church and everyone knows him,“ said a leader of the community . Sreesanth is trying to win the Nair votes; the Brahmin votes in Fort, Sreevaraham and Aryasala may swing in his favour. But, Sivakumar said voters are mature enough to look beyond communal considerations.
Another advantage for the UDF is the reports that the CPM cadres are not active in the constituency since Raju had been supporting K M Mani all these days. The LDF has alleged that there is an unholy nexus between the Congress and BJP in the constituency . There are allegations that Sivakumar had helped BJP in the city corporation election and hence the BJP would return the favour this election.