The Perambra Assembly constituency is all set to witness an exciting electoral battle between a seasoned politician and a prominent NRI businessman.
T.P. Ramakrishnan of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) who proved his capabilities as Minister for Excise and Labour will take on Indian Union Muslim League’s Independent candidate C.H. Ibrahim Kutty, who is popular as a philanthropist and social activist.
KC(M)’s influence
The contest is going to be a tough one for the United Democratic Front (UDF) with the exit of the Kerala Congress (M) faction. The KC(M), which was a strong opponent of the LDF in the previous elections, is now a fellow-runner of the front. The row over candidate selection, that has not yet been settled, also remains a stress factor for the UDF and may affect the front’s campaigns in the constituency.
‘Pro-farmer policies’
On the other hand, LDF campaigners consider Perambra as one of their sure seats, citing previous victories and the front’s strong hold in all the 10 grama panchayats within the constituency. They believe that the agrarian belt is happy with the “pro-farmer” policies of the LDF government and the due representation it got in the State with the elevation of its people’s representative as minister.
Since 1980, the electorate has favoured Left candidates.
The LDF expects its highest victory margin against the rival front this time with the entry of the KC(M).
Declining margin
However, the UDF is banking on the declining victory margin of the Left. The LDF’s victory margin which stood at 15,269 in the 2011 elections was reduced to 4,101 in the 2016 elections.
Those in the UDF believe that it is a clear indication of the declining hold of the LDF in the constituency. Many UDF leaders do not consider the exit of the KC(M) as a big challenge.
The focus of the UDF this time is on improving the total voter turnout, which is likely to help improve its vote share in the constituency. UDF leaders point out that the low voter turnout has been affecting their candidates in the past and say that it will not happen again.
NDA vote share
For the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the election is a chance for increasing its vote share.
NDA candidate K.V. Sudheer has great hopes to do well for his party. The NDA vote share in the previous election was 6%.
For the leadership, it will be an opportunity to test their capabilities in improving the party’s hold at the grassroots-level.
