It is the day Kerala witnessed a massive political spectacle, the day Congress president Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination for the Lok Sabha election from Wayanad. The small band of Congress workers at Adichanallur seems all excited as UDF candidate N.K. Premachandran arrives. He thanks the gathering and starts his brief but unhurried speech.
He focusses on the Congress manifesto, its ambitious Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) and ‘garibi par waar’ slogan, presenting it as a well thought-out welfare plan.
It is another day and another crowd. Here he seeks the blessings for another term to sustain the steam of development. ‘‘When you vote for the UDF you vote for development. I can proudly say that my parliamentary interventions have been in favour of commoners and backward communities. I promise to continue the fight for your rights and I need your support in moving ahead with this mission,’’ he says.
His vehicle moves forward, leaving behind the dwindling strains of his campaign song 'varunnu varunnu jananayakan'. ‘‘He is the one who completed the Kollam bypass and he is not a leader who will forget his voters after the elections,’’ says Sheetala, a homemaker.
Buzzword
Since development is the buzzword that dominates the UDF campaign, the Left camp has been focussing on a strategy countering this claim, while showcasing the feats of the LDF government.
Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma has released a series of videos titled ‘Minister Speaks’, where she is seen quashing every claim of the UDF, be it the Kollam bypass or Government Medical College, Parippally. On the other hand, the UDF has been trying to bank on the popular image of their candidate, all the while criticising Kerala's ruling front for their attack on Mr. Premachandran.
LDF candidate K.N. Balagopal forms an easy camaraderie with the crowd jostling around. There is no air of formality, no rhetoric. He talks about the secular spirit and democratic ethos of Kerala and the communal menace spreading its tentacles. Stressing on the necessity to dislodge the BJP from power he asks: ‘‘Do you want a government that intervenes in everything, including your diet?’’
His demeanour is more relaxed as he faces a group of cashew workers at Eravipuram. He talks about the crisis gripping the industry and the measures taken by the State government to keep it afloat.
‘‘It is not true that the sector is sinking and cannot be saved. Three years ago almost all factories had downed their shutters but many of them are functional today. Of late, the government factories have been inducting thousands of labourers. He is our comrade and I am sure he will take care of us,’’ says a beaming Lali, a cashew worker.
‘Outsider’ tag
BJP candidate K.V. Sabu has a task to tackle with his ‘outsider’ tag, and he navigates through the campaign highlighting the achievements of the Narendra Modi government.
And apart from the three major players, six others are also in the fray, holding their modest campaigns without much ado.
