For Prameela Balagopal, Congress candidate in Vellimadukunnu ward, winning the poll this time would mean much more than the usual- it is like taking back a baton that she had handed over to her husband for a brief span.
It was in 2005 that Prameela had become the councillor for the Vellimadukunnu ward as a candidate of Democratic Indira Congress under the LDF banner. However, in 2010, she handed over the baton to her husband K. Balagopalan, who won as a Congress candidate under the UDF banner. Prameela is once again seeking public favour from the same ward, but under the UDF banner.
Prameela, who is the district vice-president of Mahila Congress at present, began her political career contesting from Puthiyapalam ward, though she lost to A.K. Premajam, who later became the Mayor.
Five years later, she contested from Chevayur and found her way to the Corporation council and repeated her victory at Vellimadukunnu in 2005.
Only good words
Prameela believes that the good work she had done in the ward during the previous tenure, as well as the work undertaken by Mr. Balagopalan later, will work in her favour. “Wherever, I go for campaigning, people have only good words about the previous councillor. It will work in my favour,” she said, confident of her victory.
Mr. Balagopalan, who is a member of the District Congress Committee, was an active member of Kerala Students Union and later Youth Congress before he became a Corporation councillor. “The people here have enormous trust in us. It is our energy to do better work,” he said.
CPI(M)’s Janamma Kunhunni, who has been the Health Standing Committee chairperson of the Corporation for the last five years, is Prameela’s major opponent in the ward. Prameela admits that Janamma is a strong candidate, but is confident that the public trust her enough to take care of the ward once again.
