Kerala - Kozhikode   

UDF faces an uphill task in LDF stronghold

J.S. Bablu

Sitting MLA Benoy Viswom (CPI) takes on Veerankutty of the Congress

KOZHIKODE: Nadapuram is a fortress of the Communist parties where only the CPI(M) and CPI candidates have won except once, in 1960, when an IUML candidate was sent to the Assembly. The Left marched to victory in the next 10 elections. CPI candidates have won eight times in a row from the constituency, which has a good number of CPI(M) supporters. Benoy Viswom, sitting MLA and LDF-CPI candidate, is pitted against UDF candidate and District Congress Committee president M. Veerankutty.

Nadapuram was rocked by communal riots in 2001, before the Assembly elections. This, however, is a thing of the past. Both the rival fronts are now claiming credit for restoring normality in the area.

LDF claim

The LDF claims that peace was restored through people's collective efforts, while the UDF says it was due to initiatives taken by the Government.

The LDF campaign managers argue that if the UDF had been so efficient in restoring peace in Nadapuram, how did the Marad incident and violence at Punnad (in Kannur district) occur during its tenure.

Mr. Viswom, who is State executive member of the CPI, is campaigning by projecting the Rs.85-crore development activities he undertook in the constituency during the last five years.

There is also heated debate over the `Theruvanparambu rape case,' which the UDF had made a campaign issue in the last Assembly elections.

The 12 accused in the case, allegedly CPI(M) workers, were acquitted by a court as the prosecution was not able to prove the charge. A CPI(M) activist and an accused in the case, Binu, had been hacked to death allegedly by NDF cadres, in a retaliatory attack.

The UDF candidate Mr. Veerankutty says the accused were acquitted because of lack of proper evidence.

UDF charge

Mr. Veerankutty alleges that there has not been much progress in development activities in the region. The constituency is lagging behind in the education and agriculture sectors. He said, if elected, the UDF Government would launch an industry of diversified coconut products.

The Government would also formulate welfare measures for the hundreds of gold workers who had lost their jobs.

LDF candidate Mr. Viswom also promises to expedite work on some of the unfinished projects, including drinking water schemes. The sitting MLA is a familiar face in the constituency.

The BJP has fielded M. Prakashbabu. The BJP candidate had polled 5.072 votes in the constituency in the 2001 Assembly elections.

Past record

The CPI candidates who won from the constituency include M. Kumaran in 1970, Kanthalot Kunhambu in 1977, K.T. Kanaran, twice in 1980 and 1982, Sathyan Mokeri, thrice in 1987, 1991 and 1996, and Mr. Viswam in 2001.

CPI(M) candidate C.H. Kanaran won from the constituency twice once as member of the undivided Communist party, in 1957, and as CPI(M) candidate in 1965, followed by E.V. Kumaran of CPI(M) in 1967.

The LDF candidate in the Vadakara Lok Sabha seat in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls secured a lead of 14,422 votes over the UDF candidate in this Assembly segment. In the 2001 Assembly polls, Mr. Viswam secured a victory margin of 6,193 votes, even when the UDF campaign had projected the Theruvanparambu rape case.

Only in 1987, the CPI candidate's victory margin fell by less than 1,500 votes. In the 1996 elections, the victory margin of the CPI candidate was 14,617, the second highest margin so far in the constituency after 16,459 secured by E.V. Kumaran of the CPI (M) in 1967.

Tough task

The UDF candidate is sure to face an uphill task in a LDF stronghold. What makes Mr. Veerankutty's chances more difficult is the fact that most the Democratic Indira Congress, Karunakaran (DIC-K) workers are cut up with him as he had deserted Mr. Karunakaran's camp at the eleventh hour when the `leader' went on to form his own party breaking away from the Congress.

The total electorate in the constituency is 1,65, 997. There are 85,108 women and 80,889 men voters in the constituency.

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