UDF unity, people's support making polls easy: Chandy

A never before seen unity in the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the whole-hearted support of the people will help us sail through the upcoming local body polls with ease, said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Thursday.

Chandy made the remarks as the state goes to polls to elect local government bodies representatives on November 2 and 5.

"When this government assumed office with a majority of just two seats, many people reluctantly gave us a maximum of just six months, but in a few months from now, our five-year term is coming to a close. This is not because of our merits, but the unprecedented unity that the UDF put up, coupled with the complete support of the people of Kerala," the chief minister said.

"The Left has not won an election since 2006 and hence we will have a comprehensive victory at the local body election," he said.

Incidentally, Kerala is one of very few states in the country where candidates contest the local body polls on party symbols.

"Never before has any government in our state had to face numerous issues. Please remember none of the issues that cropped up was of our making. Just because the people of the state were solidly behind us and did not fall to any smear campaign against us, we came out of these unscathed," said Chandy.

He added that the further probe ordered on Thursday by a vigilance court into the bar scam case, in which state Finance Minister K.M. Mani is an accused, was part of the legal processes in the case.

He recalled he too was accused of corruption in the palmoil import case, in which a further probe was ordered. When the final report came, "I was exonerated by both the lower court and also the high court."

Chandy said the tactics of the BJP's Kerala unit to engage in communalisation of politics will not be accepted by the state's people, who have always kept the secular flag flying high, the best example being the state's stand on beef consumption.

"Those who eat and those who do not eat beef all live in harmony as the right to follow one's belief are well respected by one and all here. Hence, the BJP agenda will come a cropper," the chief minister added.