Leaving behind their cosy offices, a few candidates are sweating it out on the street canvassing votes and patiently listening to the needs and demands of their voters.
Putting on hold their career as doctor, engineer and businessman, a few professionals have taken the political plunge in the State. They wave at the voters, seek votes with folded hands and make short speeches at corner meetings. Life has been never been this hectic for these professionals.
S.S. Lal, a public health expert, and J. Jacob, an orthopaedic surgeon, took the Hippocratic Oath to treat the sick to the best of their abilities decades ago. These days, the two are slogging it out to win votes.
Dr. Lal, who is the United Democratic Front candidate in Kazhakuttam, will take on Kadakampally Surendran of the Left Democratic Front and Shobha Surendran of the National Democratic Alliance.
Dr. Jacob is seeking the popular mandate from the Thrikkakara constituency of Ernakulam district as an LDF-backed Independent candidate. Congress strongman P.T. Thomas and S. Saji of the BJP are his rivals.
Taking the plunge
After his career with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, E. Sreedharan took the plunge and the BJP was quick to field him from Palakkad. It is to be seen whether Mr. Sreedharan who lead teams of engineers and technical experts in building bridges and rail networks would be able to make inroads in politics. Shafi Parambil of the UDF and C.P. Pramod of the LDF are his political rivals.
All through his professional life as a police officer, Jacob Thomas had courted controversy. His service story ‘Sravukalkkoppam Neenthumpol ’ had ruffled many feathers. He was suspended from service for his open criticism of the State government. Though it was expected that he would contest the 2019 Parliament election, his political debut came two years later.
Mr. Thomas, who had made his appreciation for the Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh as a “nation builder” known, is the NDA candidate in Irinjalakuda. R. Bindu of the LDF and Thomas Unniyadan of the UDF are the other key contestants.
New role
These days, S. Rajasekharan Nair speaks to the voters of Neyyattinkara not on his favourite topic, the hospitality sector, but about the need to work together for the State.
In his new found role as NDA candidate from the constituency, Mr. Nair is keen to let others know about his plans for the constituency. S. Selvaraj of the UDF and K. Ansalan of the LDF are other key contestants.
Designing houses, offices and other structures has been her passion. When the LDF approached her with the offer to be the architect of its political campaign in Aluva, Shelna Nishad happily accepted the new assignment.
An architecture graduate, Ms. Nishad has set up her office in Ernakulam and was part of the designing team of the Kochi metro. Anwar Sadath of the UDF and M.N. Gopi of the BJP are her political rivals in the constituency.
Twenty20, a non-political outfit, has also fielded quite a few professionals.
It is to be seen whether the voters would give these professionals a chance to redefine the political narrative of their respective constituencies. One needs to wait till May 2 for the answer.
(With inputs from Mini Muringatheri in Thrissur and R.K. Roshni and Tiki Rajwi Thiruvananthapuram)
