THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: V Surendran Pillai, a former UDF candidate said the BJP won last time because the congress indulged in vote-trading. The manner of the Congress is to give seats to constituent parties and then trade votes. He alleged that they would be rewarded for the seats they contest.

O Rajagopal himself had asserted that voted trading had taken place. The present UDF candidate in Nemom should be more careful. There is no need for me telling him, K Muraleedharan knows about it. Activists are not to be blamed. Some leaders are behind the trade. Surendran Pillai said the chances of LDF candidate V Sivankutty have increased with the present triangular fight.

‘I’ve been watching UDF’s approach since 1984. When a prominent UDF leader asked me to file nomination papers in Nemom, I first told him that I am not contesting. That was because I know UDF well, but now they are strong there and there is a big change. That's how I stood in Nemom. The UDF had made some a scapegoat for some to win some places,’ said Pillai.