Oommen Chandy winds up campaign, says BJP will not win single seat

KOTTAYAM (KERALA): Winding up his public campaign seeking votes for UDF candidates, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today said that the BJP would not win a single seat in the state in the May 16 Assembly polls.

Chandy also said that the people of Kerala would give a fitting reply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 16 for drawing a parallel between Somalia and Kerala on the issue of infant morality rate in the tribal areas of the state.

"BJP will not open account in the state. The mind of Kerala will never gel with the divisive politics of the BJP," he told reporters at Kottayam press club.

The Chief Minister said the electoral battle is between Congress-led UDF and CPI(M)-led LDF in the state.

"People will cast their votes against the criminalism in politics being practised by CPI(M)," he said, while condemning the alleged attack by CPI(M) cadres on RMP candidate K K Rama in Vadakara Assembly constituency in Kozhikode district early today.

Condemning the Somalia statement by Modi, when he had compared the infant mortality rate among tribals in the state with that of the African country during his poll campaign rally early this week, the CM said "his remarks are an insult to Keralites across the globe. The people will give a fitting reply to this type of remarks by the Prime Minister".

The senior Congress leader's statement comes at a time when almost all assembly constituencies in Kerala are witnessing a tough three-pronged fight between the Congress led UDF, CPM-led LDF and the BJP-led NDA.

"UDF is confident about its victory in the elections. The front will win more seats than the seats it had secured in the previous elections," Chandy said.

Asked about the delay in arresting the culprits involved in the brutal rape and murder of a 30-year-old Dalit woman in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district, he said investigation is going on in the right track.