Keeping fingers crossed

Thiruvananthapuram: With only a day left for the D-Day, the candidates in a few crucial constituencies in the state were in a relaxed mood, though exit polls have predicted bad news for some of them.

Thiruvananthapuram UDF candidate Shashi Tharoor has returned to the capital city after a month-long break. He told DC that he doesn’t believe in exit polls and does not anticipate a photo finish.

“I am looking forward to the 23rd with anticipation. The signs on the ground and the visible support on voting day point to a comfortable win for me rather than a photo finish. I have come back to Thiruvananthapuram recovered and refreshed,” said Tharoor just before boarding the flight from New Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday evening.

He had a break mainly to allow for the healing of the severe head injury and physical trauma he suffered in the thulabharam accident during the campaign. He was in US to see his sons, Ishaan and Kanishk, and his only grandson after a lapse of seven months.

NDA’s Kummanam Rajasekharan was in an ayurveda hospital at Pandalam for his back ache. Though he hoped to win, he feared that there was cross-voting. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said that the BJP will not open an account in the state which meant that the Left votes had gone in favour of Tharoor, he said.

“During the last month, I visited the fishing hamlets at Valiyathura after sea erosion caused extensive damage there. I also visited Sabarimala and Palani and underwent ayurveda treatment for my nagging back ache issues,” said Kummanam.

LDF candidate C. Divakaran rushed to Chellam Umbrella Mart near Pazhavangadi where a fire accident occurred on Tuesday. He was seen talking to the fire force and police officials and district administration on taking steps to bring the fire under control.

The candidates in Pathanamthitta, where a fierce battle was fought, are optimistic of victory. “I expect a much bigger victory than what exit polls have predicted,” said Anto Antony of the Congress.

“The constituency belongs to the UDF,” he added. He has been in Pathanamthitta attending functions and interacting with voters.

In Alathur, UDF candidate Ramya Haridas is predicted to defeat CPM’s P.K. Biju. She had resigned as president of Kundamangalam block panchayat anticipating a victory. “I am happy about the exit polls which have predicted victory for the UDF,” she told DC. “While completing the campaign, I was sure that we will get a majority. My assessment is that people of Alathur will give me an opportunity to represent them in Parliament,” she said. She said she was a very accessible block panchayat president with whom people shared their problems and sought her intervention. “If the voters give me an opportunity I will be their MP. I may not be able to meet all their demands but I can assure that there will be positive intervention from my side,” she added.

The one-month interregnum was no different from the busy campaigning days for Ramya. “There was no break for me during the one month after polling,” she said. “The party scheduled meetings in each Assembly segment from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. during which I used to meet the UDF workers,” she said.

But CPM candidate Dr Biju is nonchalant. “I don’t believe in exit polls. I would like to reserve my comments, let’s wait for a day,” he said.

Dr Biju’s confidence stems from the party’s base in the constituency: six of the seven assembly segments are represented by Left legislators. “This clearly indicates the influence, support base and organisational strength of the Left parties, particularly the CPM,” he said. “As an MP, my contribution in development works, social sector interventions and infrastructure development will help me. The programmes initiated by the LDF government during the past two-and-a-half years for all sections of society will translate into electoral support,” he felt.

As the MP of Alathur, he was busy with public and organisational programmes during the past one month after the elections. “My daily routine includes party programmes, conferences, interaction with people, visits to schools and localities. Now I am on the way to attend a function at a school to felicitate students who passed the SSLC examination,” he said.

 A.M Ariff, LDF candidate in Alappuzha, hoped to wrest the constituency with a margin of at least 50,000 votes. “We ran an effective and solid campaign at the grassroots level explaining the anti- people policies of the BJP government  and  the development works of the state government. The exit polls have a history of going wrong. So we can't  rely upon the exit polls. For the last one month, I was attending the programmes as a legislator,” he said.

UDF candidate Shanimol Usman pointed to the increased voting percentage, especially that of women, to back her claim to retain the seat for the UDF.  “It's people who decide the results, not exit polls. We are waiting for May 23. I was attending party activities and other private programmes for the last one month,” she said.