Kerala Assembly Elections | Triangular contest in Muvattupuzha

Constituency will create history this election, says Twenty20 candidate

March 31, 2021 01:44 am | Updated 08:34 am IST - KOCHI

Taking root:  (from left) LDF candidate Eldho Abraham during his poll campaign in Muvattupuzha;

Taking root: (from left) LDF candidate Eldho Abraham during his poll campaign in Muvattupuzha;

A traditional stronghold of the Congress and the Kerala Congress, which the Communist Party of India (CPI) wrested away in the 2016 polls, the Muvattupuzha Assembly constituency is witnessing a fierce triangular contest this time, with the entry of Twenty20.

The tension is palpable among cadres of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) as Twenty20’s candidate C.N. Prakash, a journalist-cum-lawyer, creates waves across the region even as his party takes baby steps in forming grassroots-level committees.

A confident Mr. Prakash, who was till recently the regional news editor of a vernacular news channel, has been leading two-wheeler rallies across the constituency, with cadres clad in white T-shirts bearing the party’s pineapple symbol. “Muvattupuzha is going to create history this election, since our party has found a place in people’s hearts. There is a discernible wave in our favour, among different segments of society,” he said.

“I was selected based on an online survey that was conducted by the party among 2,200 people in the constituency, where people expressed the desire to have a new, non-political face as candidate. An interview followed. I was attracted to the party mainly due to its anti-corruption stand and since large sections of people have lost faith in the traditional fronts that ruled Kerala. Examples abound in Muvattupuzha, where the European Economic Community-aided agriculture wholesale market and Nadukkara Agro-Processing Company, which were established using massive public funds and hold tremendous potential, have been remaining shoddily underutilised for decades,” said Mr. Prakash.

The sitting MLA, Eldho Abraham, said substantial progress was made in land acquisition for key road projects in and around Muvattupuzha town during the past five years. The projects could be realised in the coming years if he got a second term, he said, while taking a break from campaigning at the Government Guest House in Kacherithazham.

UDF candidate Mathew Kuzhalnadan  campaigning in Muvattupuzha.

UDF candidate Mathew Kuzhalnadan  campaigning in Muvattupuzha.

UDF candidate Mathew Kuzhalnadan, who is among the most well-educated candidates in the fray (he holds a Ph.D in international law), said that development came to a standstill in Muvattupuzha during the past five years, be it on the agricultural or the infrastructural front. “I will take up the demand to carve out Muvattupuzha as a district. Much can be done to help out farmers through out-of-the-box solutions such as creating cold-storage facilities to ensure steady price through the year. Farmers’ collectives must be formed to redress their grievances,” he said.

Muvattupuzha BJP candidate Jiji Joseph during his campaign trail.

Muvattupuzha BJP candidate Jiji Joseph during his campaign trail.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Jiji Joseph as its candidate in the constituency.

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