Kerala - Thrissur   

It is no walkover for the UDF in Thrissur

K. Santhosh

The recent murder of the Chavakkad municipal chairman could result in an upset win for the LDF in Thrissur

Thrissur: An adjective best describes Speaker Therambil Ramakrishnan: ubiquitous.

You may dispute his claims on the development front, but not his constant presence at public functions in the Thrissur constituency in the past four-and-a-half decades.

As a National Democratic Party (NDP) candidate, Mr. Ramakrishnan won the Thrissur seat in 1982.

He is the only candidate to have been elected from the constituency more than once. Representing the Congress, he won the 1991, 1996 and 2001 elections.

This time, Mr. Ramakrishnan's rival is M.M. Varghese of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M).

In the first phase of the campaign, Mr. Ramakrishnan was poised for an easy walkover, with all the advantages of incumbency, traditional Christian backing for the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the constituency, support he personally draws from the Hindu community, and a rival who was relatively unknown outside the CPI(M) and trade union circles.

A week ahead of the election, the poll scene seems to have changed. Unlike that of his rival, Mr. Ramakrishnan's campaign has been reportedly ineffective and lacklustre. The fight is getting tougher by the day.

Another problem for the UDF is the ripple effect of the murder of K.P. Valsalan, Chavakkad municipal chairman, which may swing votes in favour of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) all over the district. Predictably, the Left is leaving no stone unturned in capitalising on the Chavakkad incident.

"My achievements as an MLA and performance as Speaker are enough to give me victory," claims Mr. Ramakrishnan.

The list of the achievements cited by Mr. Ramakrishnan includes completion of the first phase of Model Road and Chembissery overbridge, relocation of Government Medical College to Mulankunnathukavu, repair of Punkunnam-Kuttur-Medical College, Tirur-Chettupara-Panambayi, Chettupara-Vattayi roads, widening of Patturaikkal-Shoranur road, sanction of Rs.2.5 crores for road works in Ayyanthole, Vilvattom, Kolazhi and Mulankunnathukavu panchayats, construction of Amala Nagar-Kuttur-Viyyur-Kuttumukku-Mannuthy bypass road to ease traffic congestion in Thrissur town, grant of Rs.25 lakhs for the development of the Aquatic Complex, setting up of a sub-station and implementation of drinking water supply projects in Pullazhi, and renovation of the Shakthan Palace and Vadakkechira.

He claims to have constructed buildings for Ayyanthole, Punkunnam, Villadam, Ramavarmapuram schools, Kuttur Higher Secondary School, Model Girls School, Model Boys School, and open-air auditoriums for Ayyanthole, Punkunnam and Kuttur schools. Computers have been made available to all aided Government schools.

Allegations have been made about the sitting MLA's lukewarm response to frequent power outages, drinking water supply problems, drainage troubles and traffic congestion in the Swaraj Round and adjoining roads.

"Mr. Ramakrishnan has turned a blind eye to some of the serious problems in the constituency," Mr. Varghese alleges.

Surendran Ainikunnathu is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the constituency. In the 2001 elections, B. Gopalakrishnan of the BJP polled 7,603 votes.

Congress candidates who won from the constituency have included T.A. Dharmaraja Iyer (1960), T.P. Seetharaman (1965) and P.A. Antony (1972 byelection). The CPI(M) won the seat in 1967 (K. Sekharan Nair), 1980 (M.K. Kannan ) and 1987 (E.K. Menon). Writer-academic Joseph Mundassery, a CPI(M)-backed Independent candidate, won the 1970 election, but resigned sometime later to become Vice-Chancellor of Cochin University. In 1977, K.J. George of the Bharatiya Lok Dal was elected. In 1957, the very first election, A.R. Menon, a CPI-supported Independent candidate, defeated K. Karunakaran, with a margin of 2,485 votes.

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