UDF-BJP pact did us in: LDF

Thiruvananthapuram: The Left Democratic Front in Thiruvananthapuram corporation on Thursday alleged that there was a tacit understanding between the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the election to the District Planning Committee from the corporation council. BJP councillor from Jagathy Sheeja Madhu won with 48 votes against the BJP strength of 35. There was no UDF councillor to contest for the women’s reservation seat in which Ms Madhu won. The other two winners were LDF’s M .V. Jayalekshmi and UDF’s V.R. Sini. Both of them contested in the general category.

The UDF had decided to stay away from the election as the front had no majority, according to UDF councillor Johnson Joseph. However, Ms Sini contested, and won, in the general seat as it was her personal choice and not the front’s decision, Mr Joseph said, alleging that the link was between the LDF and the BJP. Mr Prasanth, however, rebutted the claim saying the LDF did not benefit in the election. “We would have got two seats if the BJP had not won,” he said.

The BJP, however, refused to add political colour to the election. “The District Planning Committee has no politics,” said party leader Giri Kumar. “It makes plans for the whole district with all political fronts acting in unison. Now the LDF is going against the very thing that the mayor himself had shared before the election – that there is no need to view the elections with political biases. The BJP views it from the development point of view.” Mr Kumar said Ms Sini had approached various councillors banking on her previous experience as a member of the District Planning Committee.