The arrival of veteran technocrat E. Sreedharan on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) banner has catapulted the Palakkad Assembly segment to national attention. BJP’s top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are expected to campaign for Mr. Sreedharan here.
Although it is a triangular contest between the United Democratic Front (UDF), the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the BJP, the real fight is between Mr. Sreedharan and UDF incumbent Shafi Parambil. By fielding first-timer C.P. Pramod, the LDF appears not very keen to recapture Palakkad.
The BJP camp is upbeat over the candidacy of Mr. Sreedharan, who is received by sections of Hindu voters in veneration. He made it into the news columns after some voters washed his feet and some others lay prostrate at his feet. He focussed on temples and religious groups in the initial days of his electioneering.
Displaying his trade-mark gentle behaviour, Mr. Sreedharan is reaching to the masses with folded hands. Overall development remains his motto. He has promised to transform Palakkad town to the best in the country in five years.
Young opponent
Mr. Sreedharan’s opponent Shafi Parambil is attracting young and elderly voters alike wherever he goes, seeking a third term to the Assembly. Young and ebullient, Mr. Shafi Parambil has established deep links with the electorate, especially among different sections of Hindus, in the last 10 years as Palakkad’s MLA. His affability and constant presence in the constituency appear his forte.
LDF’s Mr. Pramod too has strengthened his campaign. The votes the LDF candidate garnered in the 2019 Parliament election in the Palakkad Assembly segment are giving hopes for Mr. Pramod.
2019 challenge
LDF’s M.B. Rajesh had polled 32.83% of the votes in a keenly fought triangular contest in 2019, trailing to UDF’s V.K. Sreekandan by 4,339 votes. BJP candidate C. Krishnakumar, with 4,123 votes behind Mr. Rajesh, was in the third position.
BJP’s hopes are largely on Palakkad municipality, one of the two municipalities in the State where the BJP is in power. The Assembly seat is made up of Pirayiri, Kannadi and Mathur grama panchayats and Palakkad municipality.
BJP’s growth
As an engineer, Mr. Sreedharan is banking on the BJP’s growth trajectory in Palakkad. From 19.86% in 2011, the party’s vote share has grown to 29.08% in 2016. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, BJP clocked 29.76% of the votes.
The party is aiming at 35% this time. It hopes that Mr. Sreedharan will bring a large number of personal and independent votes to the party’s share.
But it needs to be seen if Mr. Sreedharan can defeat a strong, energetic contender like Mr. Shafi Parambil. The fight for it is top class.
