Capital city and coast, the key determiners here

For UDF and LDF, it’s a repeat of the 2016 contest, while the NDA infuses some star value

Antony Raju, LDF candidate in the Thiruvananthapuram Assembly segment, meeting voters in the constituency.

Capital city development and the allied issue of coastal development have held pride of place in the tight contest for the Thiruvananthapuram Assembly segment, and with just days left for the election, the three fronts are oozing confidence.

Doorstep campaigns and whirlwind tours of churches were high on the schedules of the candidates on Good Friday. “We will win by a much bigger margin than last time,” declares V.S. Sivakumar, the sitting UDF MLA who is looking for a hat-trick here.

Incumbent’s view

The former Minister spent the morning visiting churches along the coastal stretch between Poonthura and Kochu Veli. At noon, he made a quick detour to the city to meet voters leaving the mosques at Vazhuthacaud and Attakulangara after the Friday prayers. Mr. Sivakumar is relying on his contributions to city development, his solid connections in the segment, and the traditional pull the UDF enjoys among the coastal electorate. He had brought out a document spotlighting his contributions to coastal development. “If the State capital has witnessed development, the credit goes entirely to the Congress. The deep-sea trawling deal inked by the LDF government has created fear in the coast. People are afraid that their livelihood will be hit,” Mr. Sivakumar told The Hindu .

BJP candidate Krishnakumar G.

Undeterred

LDF candidate Antony Raju spent the better part of the day calling on voters at their homes. “No need to remind you, right? Antony Raju. LDF candidate. Symbol ‘auto’,” the Janadipatya Kerala Congress leader tells voters as he finds his way through narrow lanes in Kannetumukku. In 2016, Mr. Raju had lost to Mr. Sivakumar by 10,905 votes, but he feels that things are different now. “People want Pinarayi Vijayan to continue as Chief Minister. Also, the UDF MLA has focused not on developing the constituency, but on his own development. It is bound to reflect in the elections,” says Mr. Raju.

Besid

UDF candidate V.S. Sivakumar

es, the LDF has an upper hand in the constituency, going by the pattern of the December 2020 local body elections, he says. “Of the 26 Corporation wards here, the LDF won 16, the UDF three, and the BJP, seven. Nothing has happened in the last four months to change the voting pattern,” Mr. Raju adds.

Not an also-ran

The BJP candidate, actor Krishnakumar G., has managed to dispel the notion that the battle for Thiruvananthapuram is simply Duel No: 2 between Mr. Sivakumar and Mr. Raju. The BJP also draws confidence from the fact that cricketer S. Sreesanth, its candidate in 2016, had secured 34,764 votes in the segment although he finished third.

A familiar face on cinema and TV screens, Mr. Krishnakumar did a quick tour of Thycaud before hastening off to a public event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Son, I like you a lot. I watch all your serials,” an elderly woman says, gripping Mr. Krishnakumar’s hand as he makes his way along Kuthiralayam Road. Being a known actor is an advantage since he needs no introduction, says Mr. Krishnakumar. “I don’t blindly believe that all this will translate into votes. But a long career as an actor and a clean public image will help,” he feels.

The LDF and UDF have neglected city development and treats the coastal communities as gullible vote banks, he alleges. “As the capital city, Thiruvananthapuram has a special place. But it has become a centre of neglect, rather,” he says.