Alappuzha district presents a picture of political dichotomy. The land of such revolutionary uprisings as Punnapra and Vayalar has also nurtured Congress leaders like A.K. Antony and Vayalar Ravi to become stalwarts on the national scene. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) have strong support bases in the district. Now, the presence of a third force makes the political seesaw game more unpredictable in the district.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is making a determined bid to build on its good performance here in the recent local body elections.
The front is likely to mar the chances of the UDF and the LDF at least in some constituencies, especially since the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) — the political arm of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam — has added strength to the third force.
In the 2011Assembly elections, the LDF won seven out of the nine constituencies in the district. But the political pendulum swung in favour of the UDF in the 2014 parliamentary elections, with the front gaining upper hand in seven Assembly segments. In the 2015 local body polls, the LDF turned the tables on its adversaries, winning 47 out of the 72 grama panchayats, leaving 24 to the UDF and just one to the BJP. The BJP polled in the range of 3,800 to 15,700 votes in the Assembly segments in the Parliamentary polls. In Chengannur it polled 15,716 votes, in Mavelikara 13,067, and in Kuttanad 8,739.
Haripad
There are 13 candidates in Haripad where Home Minister and Congress strongman Ramesh Chennithala is seeking people’s mandate. P. Prasad, CPI leader and environmental activist, is his LDF rival. D. Ashwanidev is the NDA nominee there.
Kayamkulam
Sitting MLAs are in the fray in all the constituencies except Kayamkulam. U. Pratibha Hari, former Alappuzha district panchayat president who has proved her mettle as a people’s representative, is the LDF choice in Kayamkulam,. Congress State general secretary M. Liju is the UDF candidate and Shaji Panicker is the NDA nominee.
Chengannur
In Chengannur, where the BJP secured over 36,000 votes in the local body elections, the party has fielded a veteran, P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, and hopes to make a breakthrough in State politics. Sitting MLA P.C. Vishnunath of the Congress is seeking election for the third time there. K.K. Ramachandran Nair, who lost by a mere 1,465 votes in the 2001 Assembly elections, is once again wielding the LDF mantle. The presence of Sobhana George, former Congress MLA, as a rebel could tilt the political balance there.
Alappuzha
Former Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac, MLA, is contesting again in Alappuzha, from where he had won with a margin of over 16,000 votes last time. Congress’s Laly Vincent is the UDF candidate and Ranjit Srinivas the NDA’s.
Ambalappuzha
Former Minister and CPI(M)’s firebrand leader G. Sudhakaran is seeking election from Ambalappuzha for the third time. He is pitted against JD(U) State general secretary Shaikh P. Harris and L.P. Jayachandran of the NDA.
Kuttanad
Sitting MLA and NCP leader Thomas Chandy is the LDF candidate in Kuttanad. UDF candidate Jacob Abraham belongs to the Kerala Congress (M). Jose Koipally, who has resigned from the party, is opposing him as an Independent. The NDA has fielded Subhash Vasu, national secretary of the BDJS, there.
Mavelikara
R. Rajesh, MLA, is the LDF candidate in Mavelikara. He is pitted against Congress leader Baiju Kalasala of the UDF and BJP State vice president P.M. Velayudhan.
Cherthala
In Cherthala, P. Thilothaman, sitting MLA, is the LDF candidate. He is facing S. Sarath of the Congress and P.S. Rajiv of the BDJS.
Aroor
A.M. Ariff, MLA, is the LDF candidate in Aroor. C.R. Jayaprakash of the Congress and Aniappan of the BDJS are his main opponents.
The NDA is making a determined bid to build on its good performance here in the recent local body elections.
