Leaders of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Wayanad have expressed strong confidence that the alliance will secure all three Assembly constituencies in the district in the Kerala Assembly elections scheduled for April 9. The front believes the outcome will mirror its performance in the recent local body elections, where it won a majority of seats across the district.

Currently, the UDF holds two of the three constituencies in Wayanad — Kalpetta and Sulthan Bathery — and is aiming to regain Mananthavady. UDF leaders argue that growing anti-incumbency sentiment against the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government will work in their favour, citing what they describe as “anti-people” policies, lack of development, and neglect of key issues affecting the district.

District Congress Committee president T J Isaac said the alliance is confident of a clean sweep.

“The UDF will win all three seats in Wayanad district. We will retain the two seats we currently hold and win back the remaining one. Wayanad has always been a stronghold of the UDF,” he said.

“In the recent local body elections, the UDF secured a thumping majority in most local bodies in the district. In the upcoming Assembly election, it will be a repeat of that performance,” he added.

In Mananthavady, UDF candidate Usha Vijayan has intensified her grassroots campaign, expressing similar optimism.

“The resounding victory achieved in the recent local self-government elections will certainly be repeated in all three constituencies in Wayanad. We will retain two seats and regain the Mananthavady constituency. The people are delivering their verdict against the anti-people policies of the Pinarayi Vijayan government. There is no doubt that this sentiment will create a favourable situation for the UDF,” she said.

Meanwhile, Kalpetta MLA and UDF candidate T Siddique said the alliance is witnessing a consolidation of votes against the ruling front.

“Here in Kalpetta, we started our campaign with a massive roadshow. Hundreds of workers assembled, and the programme was well coordinated. We are optimistic about the outcome. In the last election, we won by a margin of around 5,400 votes. This time, our majority will be much higher. We are confident of winning the election with a far bigger margin than in the previous election,” he said.

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Siddique also alleged that the district is facing serious challenges due to the government’s inaction.

He pointed to the agrarian crisis and the rise in man-animal conflicts as key concerns, claiming that Wayanad has been pushed into a difficult situation due to the government’s failure to address these issues.

UDF district convener Pradeep also underscored the importance of national leaders campaigning in the district.

“Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will definitely campaign in Wayanad, as the former currently represents the constituency in the Lok Sabha and the latter represented it earlier. Wayanad has long been a stronghold of the UDF, and the present political situation is favourable for the front to win all three Assembly seats. Both Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi secured victories in Wayanad with margins of over four lakh votes. In the recent local body elections as well, the UDF won a thumping majority," he said.

With this being the first Assembly election following the devastating 2024 Wayanad landslides, the UDF is also raising concerns over alleged lapses in rehabilitation efforts, making it a key campaign issue against the ruling government.