Election campaign to conclude today

Thiruvananthapuram: The public campaign for the Kerala Assembly elections comes to a close on Saturday.

Political parties are trying to reach the maximum number of votes before the loud speakers go silent. The campaign so far has been large peaceful.  It is a close fight in around 30 constituencies and this increases the uncertainty about the outcome.

More than 1200 candidates are in the arena. But the contest is mainly between the ruling United Democratic front, the Left Democratic Front and the National Democratic Alliance who have candidates in all 140 constituencies.

In the UDF, the Congress is contesting 87 seats and the Muslim League 24 (including an independent). The Kerala Congress (Mani) and Janata Dal (United) are contesting 15 and seven seats respectively.  The Revolutionary Socialist Party is contesting five while the minor constituents are contesting one each.

In the LDF, the CPI (M) and CPI contest 84 and 25 seats respectively and support 8 independents.  The Janata Dal (S) is contesting five, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Kerala Congress (Democratic) four each, and the Indian National League three. There are two candidates under the banner of National Secular Conference.  Five other minor constituents fight for one seat each.

The BJP has fielded candidates in 98 constituencies and its ally Bharatiya Dharma Jana Sena in 36. The Kerala Congress (P. C. Thomas) group, which is also part of the NDA, has three candidates. Besides, the NDA is also supporting two independents, C. K. Janu and P. C. Cyriac.