WAYANAD (Kerala) : In tennis parlance, the referee's call for Wayanad has invariably been `Advantage Karunakaran.' But, as the district heads for match point, this traditional stronghold of the United Democratic Front (UDF) — particularly the erstwhile `I' group of the Congress — is not hiding its dislike for the "Karunakaran brand of politics.''

Wayanad is one district of Kerala, where the `Karunakaran factor' is at play in all its Assembly segments. Evidently, the election-eve alliance stitched up by the leadership of the Congress and Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) has not gone down well with workers of both parties and the average Congress voter. Two of the three Assembly segments — Sultan Bathery and North Wayanad — were abandoned by their elected representatives at a time when the people needed them the most.

Reeling under the agrarian crisis that has consumed several lives in the district, they have had no one to take up their cause for almost a year; beginning May last year when sitting MLAs N. D. Appachan and Radha Raghavan — representing Sultan Bathery and North Wayanad respectively — resigned from the Assembly after walking out of the Congress with Mr. Karunakaran.

"We are determined to defeat Appachan,'' said a group of men returning home from Sunday mass in Amarakunni. Elaborating, George — whose family migrated here from Moovattupuzha in search of greener pastures — said: "We have nothing against Appachan, but in him we see Karunakaran's face. Karunakaran represents rank opportunism. Our vote is for Krishna Prasad (Communist Party of India-Marxist).''

The feeling of being mere pawns is even greater in North Wayanad, where the Congress has left the seat to its biggest ally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in an "exchange programme.'' "Mr. Karunakaran wanted a sure seat for his son K. Muraleedharan and wrested Koduvally in Kozhikode — a traditional League segment. North Wayanad was given to IUML in return.''

Adding to the woes of the UDF campaign in North Wayanad, which has a sizeable Muslim population, is the Left Democratic Front (LDF) charge that the League candidate P. Balan was a "kar sevak.''

According to Kannur MP A. P. Abdullakutty, in whose Parliamentary constituency North Wayanad falls, Mr. Balan went to Ayodhya for the demolition of the Babri Masjid. And, in Kalpetta, Congress candidate K. K. Ramachandran Master faces corruption charges. Though he is pitted against first-timer M. V. Sreyams Kumar — son of Janata Dal (Secular) MP Veerendra Kumar — the Congressman is in a keen contest.

And, the DIC(K) is of no help despite the alliance since "Ramachandran Master'' (as he is known) was at the forefront of the Congress battle of words with Mr. Karunakaran. Similarly, in Sultan Bathery, the Congress worker is indifferent because the party has "given away'' the seat to DIC(K).

That the alliance may not fetch the desired results has evidently dawned upon UDF's campaign managers. Battling anti-incumbency in a State that has been switching sides with every Assembly election since 1977 and facing the anger of a pauperised populace, UDF campaign managers have taken to personal attacks, particularly in Sultan Bathery and Kalpetta.

Both Mr. Sreyams Kumar and Mr. Krishna Prasad have been accused of being greenhorns and outsiders unable to even speak Malayalam. While the alleged language handicap is set to rest by the candidates themselves when they address gatherings, their supporters dwell on their local moorings; telling people that they are sons of the soil who went away to study and have returned to change their destiny. For better or for worse, time will tell.

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