Congress leader Shashi Tharoor (left) and Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy began his state-wide campaign today in support of candidates of the Congress-led UDF (United Democratic Front).
Starting from Thiruvananthapuram, where his party colleague and sitting MP sitting Shashi Tharoor is seeking re-election from, Mr Chandy said he was sure of the victory of UDF candidates "because of the developmental works carried out by its MPs and important bills implemented by the UPA government like Right to Information and Right to Education at the Centre."
The Chief Minister will be covering several districts as part of his campaign over the next few days.
Out of the 20 seats being contested by the UDF coalition in Kerala, Congress is contesting 15. Among the young faces fielded by the party are president of the youth wing, Dean Kuriakose, from the Idukki seat and Mahila Congress leader, Bindu Krishna from Attingal.
Senior Congress leader PC Chacko, who had refused to fight from Thrissur, has been given a ticket from Chalakuddy where he will be facing LDF candidate and popular actor, Innocent. Congress gave away its Kollam seat to the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), which after splitting from the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) over seat allocation, joined the UDF ahead of general elections.
LDF, in the Nadar-Nair-dominated population of Thiruvananthapuram, has fielded Benett Abraham belonging to the Christian Nadar community. CPI, by fielding Mr Abraham, is hoping to "split the Tharoor vote bank" in the capital.
BJP's candidate, O Rajagopal, who belongs to the Nair community, the same as Mr Thaoor's, is expecting votes in his favour for the work done by him for Kerala as Railways Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan is scheduled to begin his campaign from Thiruvananthapuram on March 25.