The party's Kerala unit general secretary T P Peethambaran said at a press conference here today that Mr Pawar will address election rallies in Pala for the NCP candidate and in Thozhupuzha and Kottayam constitutencies for the nominees of Left Front constituents Kerala Congress (J) and CPM.

The NCP president will undertake a second round of campaigning in north Kerala on April 24.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker and NCP leader P A Sangma will also be campaigning in Kerala on April 18 and 19, he added.

The NCP is contesting from two seats in Kerala -- Pala and Balussery -- as part of the Left Democratic Front, two seats in West Bengal and 51 seats in Assam in alliance with the AGP (Progressive) led by former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.

In Tamil Nadu, the party is contesting 25 seats on its own.

Expressing confidence that the LDF will win with a thumping majority in Kerala, Mr Peethambaran claimed that the NCP was also making headway in the state. A large number of workers of the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran), led by state Seva Dal chairman Rafeeq, had joined the party recently, he said.

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