Thursday, September 22 2005 16:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala's local body polls, scheduled for September 24 and 26, have turned into a grim political battle with the ruling Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-controlled LDF taking the multi-tier democratic exercise as a curtain-raiser to the Assembly Polls, just seven months away.

Never before in the state have the civic elections triggered such an acrimonious political debate as this time around, with the grass-root level democratic process becoming practical to test the efficacy of newly struck tactical adjustments and strategies for the traditional rivals in the state's bi-polar polity.

Held in the wake of the split in the Congress in the state, the deal struck between the LDF and the Democratic Indira Congress(K), led by K Karunakaran, has become the most keenly watched political development.

As always in the past, the BJP is panting and puffing in the race, far behind the LDF and UDF. But the saffron party has become one of the key themes of the poll debate, with the UDF and LDF accusing each other of having entered into 'opportunistic alliances' with the Sangh Parivar affiliate.

While refuting the charge that they have pledged the party to either the UDF or LDF, the BJP leaders have held that the party is not averse to grass root level adjustments for the sake of micro-level development.

Though it had to do some explaining for the deal it struck with the party led by Karunakaran, the CPI(M) has persistently justified the decision on the ground that it is just a tactical adjustment to achieve the goal of the total defeat of the UDF.

The outcome of the local body elections is seen as crucial for the UDF led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, at a time when the ruling coalition is passing through a hard time after its humiliating defeat in last year's Lok Sabha polls and the crushing blow it received in two assembly by-polls recently. Putting up a creditable performance is particularly crucial for the Congress to justify its claim that the parting of ways by Karunakaran and his supporters did not damage the party in the state.

Though the manifestos issued by the main political players have focused on issues concerning grass root level democracy and decentralized planning, the general impression from the campaign trail has been that the real issues involved have got blurred in the cacophony of political clamour. Eight southern districts are going for the polls in the first phase on September 24, followed by voting in the remaining six northern districts on September 26.

The newly elected representatives of village, block and district panchayats and municipalities and city corporations will be in office by October 2.