Kerala - Alappuzha   

UDF, LDF fighting for every vote in Alappuzha

A. Harikumar

BJP likely to maintain its vote share as in the last Assembly elections

ALAPPUZHA: As the campaign for the Assembly elections that would be held on April 22 in the district reached the final phase, the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) seem to be fighting every inch in the district.

National and State-level leaders of the Congress and the CPI(M) have arrived here to campaign for their candidates. Taking into account the response of the public to the campaigns, no Front is likely to sweep the polls.

In the 2001 elections, the UDF had won eight seats and the LDF three seats. In the UDF, the JSS had won two seats and the Congress six seats. In the LDF, the CPI(M) had won two seats and the Kerala Congress(Joseph) one seat. The coming election is unlikely to repeat the victory pattern in the last election.

The emergence of a powerful middle class and their preferences would become decisive in many constituencies in the district. Development issues do matter much for the middle class along with the profile of the candidate.

After the last elections, three of the UDF MLAs had resigned. While the former Chief Minister A.K. Antony resigned from Cherthala following his election as member of Rajya Sabha, Ambalappuzha MLA D. Sugathan and Chengannur MLA Shobhana George resigned following their joining the Democratic Indira Congress(Karunakaran). The resignation of the sitting MLAs had affected the prospects of the UDF in the constituencies of Ambalappuzha and Chengannur.

The return of the DIC(K) to the UDF fold is helpful for the front in the district, which has been weakened following the humiliating defeat it suffered in the local body elections. Though the DIC(K) has returned to UDF, there is confusion among its workers, at least in some constituencies.

Even though politics would be among the main factors that would decide the outcome of the election, development issues particular to various constituencies would also play a decisive role. The shortage of drinking water has become a major issue in the Aroor constituency's coastal areas. Though it was thought that K.R. Gouri would have an easy walkover in the constituency she is at

present facing a real threat from A.M. Aarif of the CPI(M).

In Cherthala, UDF candidate C.K. Shaji Mohan and LDF's P. Thilothaman are locked in a tight contest. Being local leaders, both of them have their positive and negative points. The SNDP Yogam's support to Mr. Mohan is advantageous to him.

Crisis faced by the coir industry is a main theme in the campaign in the Mararikkualm constituency. The involvement of LDF's T.M. Thomas Isaac in agitations in the coir sector and his efforts to save the public sector companies in the constituency from closing down give him an advantage here. The CPI(M) has a very strong network here but at the same time the party is plagued by groupism. It seems that Dr. Isaac's real threat would be undercurrents in the party.

DIC(K) candidate Thomas Chandy has ensured a close fight for sitting MLA K.C. Joseph in Kuttanad. The issue of drinking water shortage raised by him has touched the common man. But Mr. Joseph still has the support of the middle class. Predictions are impossible in the constituency. The development works initiated by sitting MLA and Tourism Minister K.C. Venugopal in the Alappuzha constituency would be advantageous for him. Anjelose is giving him a serious fight. Mr. Venugopal has the solid support of the middle class here and Mr. Anjelose has good support in coastal areas.

In Ambalappuzha problems in the DIC(K) and the rift in Congress-DIC(K) relation have given an advantage to LDF candidate G. Sudhakaran. Both the UDF and the LDF are engaged in close fight in Haripad and Kayamkulam constituencies. In Haripad the main opponent of sitting MLA T.K. Devakumar of the LDF is UDF's B. Babuprasad.

In Kayamkulam the UDF candidate is C.R. Jayaprakash whose main rival is C.K. Sadasivan of the LDF. In Chengannur, a UDF stronghold, LDF's Saji Cheriyan has raised a real challenge. The BJP is likely to maintain its vote share as in the last Assembly elections and it has little chance of winning in any constituency in the district. The SNDP Yogam seems to be supporting the LDF in a majority of the constituencies. The NSS support is likely to vary in different constituencies. The Dheevara Sabha and the Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation have declared their support to the UDF but the Latin Catholic Church is maintaining an equidistance policy here.

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UDF, LDF fighting for every vote in Alappuzha

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