Lok Sabha polls: Candidates intensify campaign in Alappuzha

March 18, 2024 08:45 pm | Updated 09:39 pm IST - ALAPPUZHA

Electioneering is gaining pace in the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency, where a triangular contest is in the offing.

While the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has fielded incumbent A.M. Ariff, MP, of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI (M)], the United Democratic Front (UDF) gave ticket to All India Congress Committee general (AICC) secretary K.C. Venugopal, who represented Alappuzha twice from 2009 to 2019, to wrest the seat. Giving them a tight fight is National Democratic Alliance candidate Shobha Surendran of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The candidates have completed the first round of campaigning. On Monday, Ms. Surendran campaigned in the Karunagappally Assembly constituency. Mr. Ariff toured Kayamkulam and later attended the LDF Karunagappally Assembly constituency convention. Mr. Venugopal, who was away attending the valedictory of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and busy with organisational matters, is expected to hit the campaign trail again in Alappuzha later this week. UDF leaders and workers are working hard to ensure the candidate’s absence in the constituency does not affect his poll campaign. The UDF workers have started booth-level house visits.

A meeting of the UDF central election committee meeting held at the District Congress Committee office here was inaugurated by AICC secretary P.C. Vishnunath, MLA. He alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI (M) were trying to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister of India for a third time.

Inaugurating the UDF Haripad Assembly constituency election committee office, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, MLA said the CPI (M) had become the B-team of the BJP in Kerala. .