PALAKKAD: C Krishnakumar, the NDA candidate in Palakkad, said that the low voter turnout in the panchayats which are said to be the strongholds of the LDF and the UDF will benefit the NDA in the election. Speaking to a media outlet, he said that the BJP would win by a majority of more than 5000 votes as there was high polling in Palakkad city limits.

"I'm expecting a lead of more than 10,000 votes in the municipality limits. The NDA will get enough votes from the municipality limits to overcome the lead that the UDF will get in Pirayiri panchayat. Last time, NDA came third in three panchayats. This time, it will come second in those panchayats. In the other two panchayats, we will come on par or ahead of both the UDF and the LDF," Krishnakumar said.

"The opposition leader is claiming that Rahul Mamkootathil will win by a majority of more than 10,000 votes. Will Rahul get the majority that Shafi did not get? Sandeep Varier's entry into the UDF has only benefitted the BJP. It was a setback for the UDF. In 2012, only I was there to comfort Sandeep's parents and party activists in that region when Sandeep went into hiding after creating a riot in the name of tearing Narendra Modi's flex board," he added.