Polls over, LDF set for a cakewalk

The third and final phase of the Assembly poll passed off peacefully today under unprecedented security in Kannur, Kerala8217;s most politically volatile district, and Kasargod, its northern-most fringe.

The third and final phase of the Assembly poll passed off peacefully today under unprecedented security in Kannur, Kerala8217;s most politically volatile district, and Kasargod, its northern-most fringe.

In Red bastion Kannur, it was a welcome change. About 10,000 cops, including a large chunk of armed police, took control of virtually every nook of the district which has traditionally thrown up allegations of mass rigging and terrorising poll agents almost every poll.

The two districts had only isolated incidents of trouble. In Mattannur, CPIM workers threw a country bomb at the house of a Congress polling agent in the morning, but there were no casualties. In Thalassery, CPIM workers intervened to mess up a live TV interview of Congress candidate Rajmohan Unnithan, who is contesting against CPIM state committee member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. In Kasargod, a local Congress worker was stabbed while returning after casting his vote.

All exit polls so far have been projecting that the LDF would comfortably win this Assembly poll. The results of the exit poll conducted by Malayalam TV channel Asianet suggest the Left is poised to win 10 to 14 out of the 15 seats contested today, bagging 49 per cent of the votes polled. The UDF was projected to marshal up to 43 per cent of the votes polled and the BJP, 6 per cent.

Meanwhile, the BJP, which is not considered to have any winning possibility elsewhere in the state, is hopeful that it may stand some chance in Manjeswaram of Kasargod, where it had managed to come second in the earlier polls 8212; it brings up the rear in every other constituency in Kerala. Though the UDF had been helping itself to Left votes in the past polls with the common need to defeat the BJP, sources with that party claim that hasn8217;t happened this time.

The BJP had thrown everything into its campaigning in Manjeswaram and Kasargod. It had roped in its top heavies to address campaign meets there, including L K Advani, Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu, besides Praveen Togadia of the VHP.

Interestingly, Union Minister E Ahamed who had visited Manjeswaram, also stated that many Left votes had gone to the BJP there this time, though both UDF and LDF camps discount any possibility of the BJP making it there.

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CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan,claimed the LDF was poised to sweep over 100 of the 140 seats being contested

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy ,however, maintained that the Congress-led UDF was all set to form the next government