THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF has geared up for ensuring the support of various community organisations in its characteristic style in the Neyyatinkara Assembly segment, with KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala himself leading the drive and visiting the Neyyattinkara Latin diocese and the VSDP offices. The parleys with VSDP leader Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan led to the toning down of protests and threats from a key organisation, which derives strength from the dominant Nadar community in the area.“The VSDP will not oppose the UDF,” declared Chandrasekharan after talks with the KPCC president. Prior to the meeting with the VSDP leaders, Ramesh had paid a visit to Neyyattinkara Bishop Dr Vincent Samuel and sought support for UDF candidate R Selvaraj. The KPCC president also had discussions with the local leaders of the NSS and the SNDP. The KPCC president told mediapersons here on Saturday that the UDF was keen to ensure the support of all groups while going to a bypoll on June 2. “We’re hopeful of getting necessary support from all sections,” he said. The attempt to curry favour with the local leaders assumes significance since the Central leadership of the NSS, in a constituency where around one-fourth of the voters belong to the Nair community, is still at logger-heads with the Congress.Health Minister V S Sivakumar, N Sakthan and A T George MLA, were also with Chennithala during the discussions.On the various demands raised by the VSDP, Chennithala said that the grievances would be there in the mind of the UDF leadership. The VSDP raised a ten-point demand including, awarding ministership to Deputy Speaker N Sakthan, the Nadar community member representing the Kattakada constituency, in the wake of the IUML fifth minister controversy. The outfit had taken a stance that the UDF candidate will be defeated at any cost. It had threatened to block the Chief Minister and minister if they ventured to step into the segment. The Congress initiative is to prepare the ground in Neyyatinkara for an all- out campaign for Selvaraj and wrest the segment which it had lost in the 2011 polls, after granting him membership and the hand symbol to contest the bypoll. The moves are ahead of the UDF election convention slated for May 3, which will be inaugurated by CM Oommen Chandy.
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