Thunder Bay area NDP candidates are on the defensive about automated calls claiming they're in tight races locally. On mobile devices, ads suggest the tight race is with the Conservatives.

Some opposing candidates are accusing the NDP of using fear to get people to cast ballots for New Democrats to prevent vote splitting.

"Everybody's receiving literature from the NDP that's heavy in attack ads, heavy in fear-based mongering, claiming they only need 35 seats more to beat Harper," Thunder Bay-Superior North Liberal Patty Hajdu said.

At two debates in Thunder Bay last week, NDP candidates Andrew Foulds and John Rafferty were asked about the calls — and the accuracy of close NDP-Conservative races.

Both said based on 2011 results — where Conservatives placed second in both ridings — the non-Conservative vote could be split this year.

"And in this particular case, with the NDP and Liberals, the second place from 2011 [Conservatives], numerically, could slip up through the middle," Thunder Bay-Rainy River candidate John Rafferty said.

Foulds said his campaign is just relaying facts to voters.

"We absolutely have been making phone calls — and what we're saying in our phone calls are the results of the last election, totally based in fact."

Meanwhile,Thunder Bay-Rainy River Conservative candidate Moe Comuzzi said she doesn't pre-occupy herself with projections.

"I was told long ago by a well-known, long-time Conservative MP: 'don't look at the polls, look at your community'."

At a campaign event in Thunder Bay on Friday, Thunder Bay-Superior North Green Bruce Hyer said he "found it really interesting" that the NDP is making robocalls.

"They're saying 'it's either going to be us or the Conservatives,' — like, get real here."

Thunder Bay-Rainy River Liberal Don Rusnak said the NDP is "not an answer nationally to defeating Stephen Harper."

"It is a contest between the NDP here in Thunder Bay-Rainy River and the Liberal Party," he said. "We've seen the NDP slip in the polls nationally."

2011 federal election results

Thunder Bay-Superior North

NDP (Bruce Hyer) 18 334

Conservative (Richard Harvey) 10 894

Liberals (Yves Fricot) 6 117

Greens (Scott Kyle) 1 115

Thunder Bay-Rainy River

NDP (John Rafferty) 18 085

Conservative (Moe Comuzzi) 10 097

Liberals (Ken Boshcoff) 8 067

Greens (Ed Shields) 909

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