BJP emerging as alternative to UDF, LDF: Rajasekharan

Sounding the poll bugle in Kerala ahead of the Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said that they have emerged as an alternative to CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Alliance (LDF) and Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in the state.

BJP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan said that the recent Panchayat elections clearly point towards rising popularity of the saffron party in the southern state.

"There are clear evidences, in the last Panchayat elections, BJP won several seats. BJP is also ruling one municipality. In Trivandrum corporation, we are the biggest party. We have gained about 15 percent of vote. The Congress only got 25 percent vote. BJP has got a solid vote base," he said.

"We can see that in Kerala the prospect of the BJP is bright. We are confident that we will win the elections and get majority...People in Kerala now see BJP and allies as an alternative to the two fronts(LDF and UDF," he added.

Meanwhile, the seat sharing talks in both UDF and LDF have entered a crucial second phase. The minor partners are putting pressure on Congress and CPI (M) respectively for more share for the May 16 assembly polls.

Congress, the lead partner held bilateral talks with representatives of JD(U), Kerala Congress(M) and Kerala Congress (J) on Tuesday.

In Kerala, voting for 140 assembly seats would be held in a single phase on May16.