By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE DEMOCRATS headed by former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva are anticipated to get as many as nearly 40 MP seats in the Feb.8 election, mostly from southern constituencies where they used to prevail in previous races to parliament, according to NIDA Poll director Suvicha Pouaree.
Abhisit’s Old School conservative camp is more or less expected to grab nearly 30 out of a total of 59 southern constituencies in addition to a dozen others to be elected in party-listed mode and get a total of nearly 40 MP seats and become the fourth largest elected camp alongside the Klatham that might probably as well secure some 40 MP seats nationwide, including some in the southern constituencies, the NIDA academic predicted.
That compared to 17 MP seats which the Democrats secured from the southern constituencies in the 2023 election where the country’s oldest party, then led by former party leader Chalermchai Sri-on, grabbed 25 MP seats nationwide, including 22 elected in constituency-based mode and three in party-listed mode.
The NIDA Poll director’s latest remark contrasted that recently made by de facto Klatham boss Thammanat Prompao who has forecast that his camp will snatch as many as 70 MP seats in the nationwide election, mostly from northern, northeastern and southern constituencies.
Suvicha made his comment in pursuit of the recent NIDA poll specifically conducted among constituents in the southern province of Nakhon Sri Thammarat which has found 51% of the respondents expressing their revived support for the Democrats led by Abhisit who is competing against his counterparts from other major camps for prime minister.
That compared to 12 southern MP seats grabbed by the Bhumjaithai, currently core of the caretaker government under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, 14 others by the Ruam Thai Sang Chart, seven by the Palang Pracharath, seven by the Prachachart and three by the court-dissolved Move Forward in the previous election.
Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Transport Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn who is currently in charge of the Bhumjaithai southern campaigns has earlier forecast that his ruling party will likely get as many as 30 out of the total 59 southern MP seats in the Feb.8 election.
The upcoming race to parliament in all 14 southern provinces will likely see relentless tussles for votes from the southerners in constituency-based mode between the ultra-conservative Bhumjaithai, the ultra-conservative Klatham, the Old School conservative Democrats and the reformist People’s whilst the neo-conservative Pheu Thai under de facto party boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra is hardly expected to get a single southern MP seat largely due to sustained sentiment of most southern voters against Thaksin’s regime which had contentiously ruled over the last couple of decades.
Meanwhile, a TSU Poll conducted earlier this month by Thaksin University among 1,660 southern villagers, mostly being first-time, young constituents, has found 40% of the respondents saying they will vote for the People’s, followed by 22% for the Democrats, 15% for the Bhumjaithai and 5% for the Palang Pracharath.
The TSU Poll has also found 30% of the respondents preferring to see People’s leader Nattapong Ruengpanyawut named prime minister after the Feb.8 election, followed by 20% who lend steadfast support for Abhisit, 16% for former coup leader-turned-prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha despite the fact that he is no longer legally available for head of a post-election government, 15% for Caretaker Prime Minister/Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul and 5% for Commerce Minister Supajee Suthumpun who is currently helping Newin’s camp with their electoral campaigns.
The southern-based Thaksin University is by no means related to the de facto Pheu Thai boss whose nephew Yodchanan Wongsawat is currently the top Pheu Thai contender for head of a post-election government.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page – Democrat Party leader Aphisit Vejjajiva campaigning in Bangkok today, Jan. 28, 2025. Photos – Naewna
First insert – De facto Klatham boss Thammanat Prompao wooing voters in Mukdahan province today. Photo – Naewna
Second insert – Former Move Forward leader and current People’s Party campaign assistant Pita Limjaroenrat wooing voters in Samut Songkhram today. Photo – Thai Rath
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