Kasargod:
A fierce three-cornered contest is on the cards in Manjeswaram, northern-most constituency of Kerala, where a neck-to-neck fight between three candidates of UDF, LDF and BJP is expected for the April 13 assembly polls.
LDF has fielded sitting MLA C H Kunhambu and UDF P B Abdul Razak, former President of Kasargod District Panchayat and BJP K Surendran (BJP), party state general secretary.
However, Socialist Democratic Party of India, rechristened political wing of the Popular Front of India, has not fielded its own candidate, in line with its decision to avoid splitting of minority votes and thereby giving an inadvertent advantage to BJP. SDPI had bagged a ward in the recent civic election.
Manjeswaram is one of two seats, BJP is pinning hope to open its account in the assembly, the other being Nemmam in Thiruvananthapuram where BJP's stalwart and former Union minister O Rajagopal is in the fray.
The BJP camp exudes confidence of its candidate emerging victorious for various reasons including the constituency's proximity to Karnataka, where the BJP led by B S Yuddyurappa is in power.
Even before formal announcement of candidature, both Kunhambu and Surendran had kicked-off electioneering in the constituency. UDF was slow to launch its campaign since Congress released its candidates' list very late.
Manjeswaram had returned IUML candidates successively for three terms and CPI(M) in the last assembly polls in 2006.
UDF camp is upbeat after the electioneering by senior congress leader and Defence minister A K Antony, who had addressed five meetings urging voters to return UDF to power.
Kunhambu is seeking re-election detailing the contribution he had made for the constituency as an MLA, while Surendran, who had given BJP a strong organisational set up, alleges that both LDF and UDF had betrayed the voters by giving false promises.
The district has a sizeable number of NRI voters and those working outside the state.
Electioneering is expected to pick up momentum with the visit of many national and state leaders of all the major political parties in the coming days.
Kasargod district has five segments, comprising Manjeswaram, Kasargod, Uduma, Kanhangad and Thrikkarippur.
In the last assembly elections in 2006, LDF had won four seats.