Congress leader D. Vijayakumar will be the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate for the Chengannur Assembly byelection. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) approved the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee’s recommendations in this regard.
Mr. Vijayakumar has been waiting in the wings for a nomination for quite a long time despite having a strong base in the constituency.
The death of Communist Party of India (Marxist) legislator K.K. Ramachandran Nair has opened a window of opportunity for Mr. Vijayakumar.
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Known to have links with the Nair Service Society (NSS), the 65-year-old Vijayakumar began his political career through student politics.
During a long career spanning decades, he held several important positions such as president of the Chengannur Agriculture Cooperation Bank and Chairman of Alappuzha Cooperative Spinning Mills Ltd.
Mr. Vijayakumar will find himself on difficult turf since coalition politics as was played out in the last few decades is currently in a spin. The Kerala Congress (M), a steadfast ally till recently, is no more with the UDF.
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Mani factor
The party’s leader K.M. Mani has not yet revealed his line till date and one would have to read a lot into his recent hobnobbing with the CPI(M).
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) performance in 2016, coming a close third, is something the Congress campaign managers would have to account for this time.
The byelection date is yet to be announced, but the early announcement of Mr. Vijayakumar’s candidature will certainly give him a head start in electioneering, something which is not the given thing for a Congress candidate.
The CPI(M) has not announced its candidate though the name of Saji Cherian, the Alappzuha district secretary, has been doing the rounds.
The BJP has announced the name of a hardy campaigner P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, who put up a stiff fight in 2016. With the BJP ties with the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) shaky, Mr. Vijayakumar might not feel the pressure.