Poll victories seldom have the kind of multidimensionality that the smashing victory that the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) has scored in the Chengannur Assembly byelection. The alliance has registered a record win in the constituency, located at the intersection of the big political divide in the State, using brilliant political positioning, canny manoeuvring, and massive grassroots mobilisation.
The bypoll outcome is in a way a personal victory for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who, it could well be said, has done it the way only he can: answering his critics with a smashing victory in a byelection that was widely seen and spoken about as being a referendum on his government and, indirectly, on his style of functioning. On Wednesday, he was firing on all cylinders telling the media not to wield the judge’s gavel when commenting on his government. Let people have their say, he had said. On Thursday, barely minutes after the stunning triumph in the Chengannur Assembly byelection, he was once again at it, reminding his critics with a triumphant smile, that it was not them, but people who were the better judges.
Cutting across divides
He and the LDF could pull it off only because of the support they could win in the constituency cutting across political and religious divides.
That is where political positioning of the CPI(M) and the Chief Minister came into play, leaving Congress leaders, past masters of the art of winning friends among minority formations and influencing their political choices, looking on in disbelief as the the CPI(M) and the LDF almost suddenly emerged as a political combination that the minority communities in Kerala would place their trust in. On view was a play of deeply held convictions about the place of religious minorities in the political scheme of the country and, simultaneously, some canny manoeuvres like, for instance, in keeping Kerala Congress (M) leader K.M. Mani undecided till the very last minute.
At a deeper level, it is a victory that probably reflects the positive vibes that governance initiatives of the LDF government has generated among the electorate.
The LDF went into the byelection without giving much for the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) to talk about its governance record as, in a refreshing change from the past, the LDF dispensation has remained almost totally free of any charge of corruption against any of its Ministers or top officials.
Police high-handedness resulting in grave violations of human rights did come into play in the poll debate, but that apparently was not enough to scuttle the game plans of the LDF and its skipper.
