Palakkad: Panicky over LDF victory in local body elections Congress and BJP in Palakkad are preparing to align with religious extremist outfits - the Welfare Party and SDPI - to face polls.
In more than half of the district’s 20 panchayats, such alliances have been already worked out to contest seats. Outside this, BJP is also helping Congress by keeping its candidates out of 395 wards.
Naturally, the development has caused much anxiety among Congress workers, who up to now believed the party stands for secularism and communal harmony. Dissent is also brewing in Muslim League, over allying with Welfare Party - the political form of Jamaat-e-Islami that does not recognize Indian constitution - and SDPI - the political wing of terror outfit SDPI. However, Congress and Muslim League leaderships are of the view that alliance with extremist groups is the only way to fight off electoral setback.
Congress has tied up with SDPI in ward-1 at Palakkad and in 11 and 14 wards in Vadakara. In Muthula panchayat, UDF has tied up with with Welfare party in 5 of its wards. At Koppam panchayat, Muslim League is helping Welfare Party to field their candidate. At Pukottukauv panchayat, UDF and BJP have common candidates in four of its wards and campaign posters of both parties have their names referred as ‘our candidate’.
