Onmanorama Lite App
The party has to give a convincing alibi now as Sundara has disclosed the names of several BJP leaders close to Surendran.
A quick tactical reassessment done by the central leadership found less merit in having Kummanam fight a byelection.
While the opposition UDF has a formidable task of retaining four of its sitting seats, the CPM-led LDF has to score big to recover from the rout in the parliamentary election.
“Kamaruddin’s victory in the bypoll is a foregone conclusion,” said IUML supremo Panakkad Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal.
Political commentator and former Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam Dr Cyriac Thomas shares many rare stories.
The exit poll predicted UDF win in Manjeswaram, Ernakulam and Vattiyoorkkavu, LDF win in Aroor and Konni, and NDA to draw a blank.
As five assembly constituencies go to polls, there is no perceived threat to secularism. Nairs openly and unapologetically canvassing for UDF and the other dominant Hindu caste, Ezhavas, not so subtly throwing their weight behind LDF.
As many as 9,57,509 voters, including 4,91,455 women and 4,66,047 men, will elect their representatives from 35 candidates in the fray.
The LDF seems to have made major gains in the assembly bypolls in five constituencies after the Sabarimala backlash it suffered earlier this year in the LS elections.
Kamarudheen's predecessor PB Abdul Razak - whose death necessitated the bpoll - had scraped through the 2016 assembly election by 89 votes over BJP's K Surendran.
Results 1-10 of 13
