Kerala   

Image and popularity

STAR POWER: Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony campaigning at Thiruvambadi. — Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

Politicians with a clean image and good track record are popular everywhere. No wonder the public meetings addressed by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony during the campaigning for the byelection in the Thiruvambadi Assembly segment attracted larger crowds than those by other politicians in the State.

Mr. Achuthanandan and Mr. Antony were the stars of the high-profile electioneering activity of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) respectively. The people of Alappuzha district can be proud of these two leaders who came to woo the electorate in the hilly regions comprising a sizeable section of settler farmers from Kottayam, Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts. If Mr. Achuthanandan, hailing from Punnapra, campaigned in the constituency for three days, the itinerary of Mr. Antony, who hails from Cherthala, was confined to one day. They are known to be crowd-pullers anywhere in the State, without resorting to rabble-rousing. Perhaps it was their campaigning which stirred the electorate to turn up in large numbers at the polling booths on Monday.

Biju Govind

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