With just a week left for the April 13 Assembly elections, the so far low-key campaign has acquired a new tempo in Kottayam district. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) had the advantage of having an early start, thanks to squabbles in the United Democratic Front (UDF) over seat-sharing among its partners and later within some parties. Though the scars are still showing, it now appears that the UDF partners have succeeded in closing much of the gap on the campaign front.
While the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had kick-started its well-oiled election machinery much in advance, lack of dependable allies is evident especially in its attempts to penetrate into certain segments of the electorate. However, in Changanassery, a good attempt is being made by the party to offset the limitation by mobilising cadres thrown up during the decentralisation effort, the literacy movement and through other progressive movements.
On the other hand, the Congress campaign, unlike earlier elections, is marked by healthy participation at the grassroots, it is pointed out. The successful conclusion of its organisational elections and the big win in last year's local body elections appear to have generated a new band of workers, who play a key role in adding momentum to the party's campaign.
While the daily dose of controversies form a major part of the campaign, local issues, such as the drinking water problem in Vaikom, infrastructure development in Ettumanur and Kottayam, lack of general development in Changanassery, the Sabari Railway in Poonjar have also found prime of place on the campaign platform.
Kottayam
The Kottayam Assembly segment is witnessing one of the keenest fought electoral battles in Central Travancore in the fight between two sitting MLAs: V.N. Vasavan (CPI-M) is facing Thiruvanchoor Radhkrishnan (Congress), son of soil who has been representing Adoor so far. In the 2006 elections, Mr. Vasavan had scrapped through with a margin of 482 votes, but has established himself during the past five years as one of the most vociferous MLAs in the district. He has lost some of the key CPI(M) strongholds during the decentralisation effort, but banks on the Left dominance in Nattakom and parts of the Panachikkad panchayat and a new vote bank he has created in the Kottayam municipal area.
Mr. Radhkrishnan is no new face to Kottayam as he had built up his career as a student politician and advocate in the town. He had not only spent the early part of his political life here, but also the history of contesting from the constituency once, though unsuccessfully. He believes the constituency has changed its colour with the delimitation. He is banking on the acceptability he has in the Kumaranallore and Panachikkad panchayat areas and the track record he has at Adoor to wrest the segment from the Left.
Kanjirappally
Meanwhile, the genie released by Alphons Kannamthanam, when he deserted the LDF in the early days of the run-up to the elections to join the Bharatiya Janata Party, appears to be haunting the Left even now. This time it is the LDF candidate in Kanjirappally, Suresh T. Nair (CPI), who is at the receiving end. The BJP candidate, K.G. Rajmohan, is claiming the development works completed by Mr. Kannamthanam (who won the segment for the LDF in the 2006 elections) in the BJP's account. The UDF candidate, N. Jayaraj (Kerala Congress-M), is depending on the personal vote bank he has developed during the past many years, first as a college teacher and later as a politician.
Poonjar
The neighbouring Poonjar segment, which had come into media focus on account of the desertion Mr. Kannamthanam after commencing his campaign there, is marked by the largest number of candidates at 13. The UDF candidate, P.C. George (KC-M), had the benefit of mounting an early campaign on account of the confusion in the Left camp. However, the LDF and its candidate, Mohan Thomas, are trying to drive a wedge into the not-so-cohesive UDF election apparatus. The delimitation exercise had changed the segment beyond recognition and the voting pattern of the electorates who earlier formed part of the Kanjirappally segment is keenly watched. The capability of Independent candidates to eat into Mr. George's vote bank is yet another factor they are watching.
Changanassery
Interestingly, the Changanassery constituency, perhaps, is witnessing one of the best campaigns the LDF has put up in the district. The LDF candidate, B. Ekbal (CPI-M), has not only succeeded in getting effective support from the party machinery, but also succeeded in mobilising the new political forces generated by the decentralisation, the literacy campaign and the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad. If carried forward, the momentum generated during the campaign may stand the LDF in good stead in the coming days, many believe. The UDF candidate, C.F. Thomas, however, does not find any reason for the electorate to change the pattern they have been following for the past 31 years.
Kaduthuruthy
In Kaduthuruthy, it is the third round between Mons Joseph and Stephen George. In 2001, Mr. George, then a UDF candidate, had defeated Mr, Joseph of the LDF to represent the segment in the Assembly. Five years later, it was Mr. Joseph's turn to turn the tables on Mr. George. He not only won the elections, but became a member in the V.S. Achuthanandan Cabinet. Mr. Joseph is now in the UDF camp and Mr. George with the LDF.
The Knanaya Catholic community has a dominant presence in the segment. While Mr. George believes that being a member of the community, he has an edge, those close to Mr. Joseph point out that the same factors did not help him last time.
Vaikom
Vaikom (reserved for the Scheduled Castes) has always been a Left stronghold and the UDF could wrest the segment only three times: in 1957, 1965 and 1991. While the LDF and its CPI candidate and sitting MLA, K. Ajith, are focussing on consolidating the traditional vote bank, the UDF is into a new experiment by fielding A. Sanish Kumar, a local lad who has strong connections with the dominant faction of the Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha. The local body elections saw the UDF bagging five panchayats and the Vaikom municipality giving in only in four grama panchayats. However, during the 2009 Parliament elections, Vaikom was one of the few segments where the LDF candidate, K. Suresh Kurup, had a comfortable majority.
Ettumanur
Mr. Suresh Kurup is now contesting in the neighbouring Ettumanur segment against Kerala Congress(M) veteran Thomas Chazhikadan. The constituency consists of seven grama panchayats, but the voting pattern of the electorate in the Ettumanur and Athirampuzha grama panchayat areas and the newly acquired panchayats of Kumarakom and Thiruvarpu is expected to impact the final outcome.
Puthuppally, Pala
In Puthuppally, the LDF candidate, Suja Susan George (CPI-M), has an uphill task taking on Oommen Chandy (Congress), a prospective Chief Ministerial candidate; while in Pala, Mani C. Kappan (NCP of the LDF) is trying his luck a second time to bring down the KC(M) leader K.M. Mani.
The BJP has fielded candidates in all the nine Assembly segments. Its performance in the Kottayam and Kanjirappally segments will be keenly watched, as it will have a bearing on the final out come in these segments. The party has nine representatives in the local bodies within the Kottayam segment, four of them in the municipal council. It has 12 local body representatives in Kanjirappally.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is contesting in all constituencies except Pala. At Puthuppally, its State president Saji K. Cheramar is the candidate. The Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) has candidates in Poonjar, Kottayam, Ettumanur, Changanassery and Vaikom while the SDPI has fielded candidates at Chaganassery and Poonjar.
The nine Assembly segments in the revenue district have a total electorate of 14, 26, 678, out of which 7,22,885 are women.
