Congress-led front will win in Kerala, says party report

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New Delhi: The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) will get a majority in the Kerala assembly polls held April 13, Congress sources said Thursday, citing a report submitted by the party's state unit to the central leadership.

The report predicted that the UDF will win in 80 out of the 140 constituencies, party sources told IANS. The result of the election is to be declared May 13.

State Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala and Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy are likely to come to Delhi before the vote count for discussions with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, the sources said.

Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi, in separate assessments submitted to the central leadership, also have predicted a UDF win in Kerala, the sources said.

For the past 30 years, Kerala has a tradition of electing the UDF and the rival Left Democratic Front (LDF) alternately. The current state government, headed by V.S. Achuthanandan, is of the LDF.

It could be lucky 13 for some Kerala politicos!

Thiruvananthapuram: Unlucky 13? That may not be the case for some politicians who fought the latest polls in Kerala.

Elections were held April 13 to constitute the 13th state assembly and the vote count too will be taken up May 13.

There's more.

According to M.K. Damodaran, 57, who has been practising numerology for 22 years, at the moment Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy's lucky number is 4 - which is what the 1 and the 3 in 13 add up to.

"Chandy was born on Oct 31 (3 plus 1 equals 4), the election was held on the 13th, counting is on the 13th and it is going to be the 13th assembly. The 3 and 1 add up to 4," said Damodaran who retired from the state revenue service two years ago.

He also pointed out other factors.

"Chandy first became a legislator in the 4th Kerala assembly and has completed 40 years as a legislator. Also, note that Chandy became chief minister for the first time on Aug 31 (2004). What is to be noted is that 4 is not only Chandy's lucky number but it is his 'Fate Number' too," said Damodaran.

Damodaran said 4 is also a lucky number for union Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi, who belongs to the Congress.

"Was it not in the news that Ravi had initially shown some interest in becoming the next chief minister of Kerala, if the Congress won the polls?" asked Damodaran.

He has been making correct predictions for a while now.

He had predicted through numerology that Indian cricket captain M.S. Dhoni would lift the World Cup months before the tournament began, and it was reported in the media too.

"Please also note that May 17, 1999 I had correctly through numerology predicted that A.B. Vajpayee would become the prime minister. This was published in leading newspapers then," said Damodaran.

CPM slams NSS leader for anti-Achuthanandan comment

Thiruvananthapuram: CPM Kerala state secretary Pinarayi Viajayan has come came down on the Nair Service Society (NSS) acting General Secretary G Sukumaran Nair for using "adverse comments" against Chief Minister Minister V S Achuthanandan.

"The adverse comments made by Nair against Achuthandnan were quite unbecoming of Kerala culture. He should withdraw the abusive language he used to attack the Chief Minister", Vijayan said in an article in the party daily Deshabhimani. "Unleashing attacks, using abusive words and expressions against rivals is heinous and deplorable. This is especially so in the case of those holding responsible positioins. Those who indulge in such acts are only discrediting themselves before the public," Vijayan said.

Nair had few days remarked that in the recent assembly polls NSS had shifted from its time-tested policy of keeping "equi-distance" from LDF and UDF with the sole purpose of preventing Achuthanandan from getting a second term as Chief Minister. Nair's comment sparked sharp reactions from the CPM and the Left circles, who saw the words and expressions used by him as out of tune with Kerala's culture and its healthy tradition of conducting debates in decorous and dignified manner.

Amid the slanging match between the two sides, the NSS unit offices were attacked in some parts of the state in the last two days, which drew protest from leaders of Congress-led UDF. The NSS has a network of units across the state as the community organisation of Nairs, who form a major community of Hindu fold in Kerala.

Meanwhile, CPM state secretariat termed Nair's remarks as 'indecent expression' and said it was not in tune with the culture of Kerala. In a statement, CPM said that enlightened people of the state would reject the remark of Nair. However, the party said said there was no justification for the attack on NSS offices in some parts of the state. CPM has no role in the attack, the statement said. Violence and indecent expression were not the way to express protest in a democratic system, the statement said.

Last phase of polling in West Bengal today

KOLKATA: The sixth and final phase of the Assembly elections in West Bengal will be held on Tuesday under “unprecedented security arrangements” in 14 constituencies in the Maoist-affected areas of Bankura, Purulia and Paschim Medinipur district.

Of the 3,584 polling stations in the areas going to the polls, over a thousand booths have been identified as “critical.” Of these, 563 are in Bankura, 16 in Purulia and 470 in Paschim Medinipur districts, State's Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta said here on Monday.

“A lion's share of the Central forces in the State have been deployed in the region,” Mr. Gupta said adding that only forces guarding the counting stations and those deployed to maintain law and order in other local areas had been held back.

While there has been no major incident of violence in the five phases of the elections held so far, the Commission has put additional measures in place as the final phase covers Maoist affected areas.

The Maoists have called for a boycott of the polls, but Koteswar Rao alias Kishenji, a member of the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), has made a statement that no one will be stopped if he chooses to vote.

Advanced security equipment, including satellite phones, night vision equipment and quick clot kits, have been distributed in all three districts. Three helicopters are conducting surveillance in the region and the Jharkhand and Orissa borders were sealed, he added.

As an additional precautionary measure, the Election Commission has declared that polling in the final phase will end at 3 p.m. instead of the usual 5 p.m.

There are 97 candidates in the fray in the final phase. Their fate will be decided by over 26 lakh voters. Minister for Paschimanchal Unnyan Affairs Susanta Ghosh, and convener of the Maoist-backed Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee Chhatradhar Mahato are among those contesting this round.

Mr. Mahato, now an undertrial imprisoned in the Midnapore Central Correctional Home, is contesting from Jhargram constituency in Paschim Medinipur as an Independent candidate.