Where political rivals are not enemies

‘Elections come only every five years but we have to co-exist all the time’

The road leading up to St. Thomas LPS at North Palluruthy, a polling booth in Kochi Assembly constituency, offered a refreshing sight with the political party booths of both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) sitting cheek by jowl with little animosity among the respective party workers.

Usually, such booths set up on the polling day are separated by a fair distance with little interactions between the camps, reflecting the intensity of the electoral battle under way. But not in this booth 86 of North Palluruthy where the UDF and LDF booths are set up right next to each other.

“We have been having this arrangement for decades now. Simply because we believe in different political ideologies does not mean that we have to be at each other’s throat all the time. Elections come only every five years but we have to co-exist all the time,” said P.G. Thampy, an LDF activist.

Delphin Antony, a Congress worker in the UDF camp, could not agree more. “Elections here have always been peaceful since we all know that we have to see each other even after elections. Politics need not interfere with your personal relations,” he said.

That camaraderie apart, the competition remains intense and neither side was willing to compromise for the victory of their respective candidates.

“UDF candidate Tony Chammany will make it through though Twenty20 may inflict some dent in its voter base in areas like Chellanam. But that should be more than made up through the votes we secure elsewhere,” said Mr. Antony.

Mr. Thampy on his part was confident of LDF candidate and sitting MLA K.J. Maxy’s victory though he said that the prediction that Twenty20 would eat into UDF vote alone could be a misplaced observation.

Neither side, interestingly, made any comment about the other apolitical outfit in the fray V4 People and its candidate Nipun Cherian.