The Hindu : Kerala News : New contours make Idukki more compact

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Wednesday, Feb 13, 2008
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Kerala

New contours make Idukki more compact

George Jacob

IDUKKI: Idukki has been one of the beneficiaries of the withering away of the Muvattupuzha Parliament constituency in the latest round of delimitation process.

Two of the Assembly segments, Muvattupuzha and Kothamangalam, with slight changes in its contours, from the extinct Muvattupuzha segment have been linked to it in place of the two Assembly segments of Ranni and Pathanamthiita, which were earlier part of the Idukki Parliament segment, which have been made part of the newly formed Pathanamthitta Parliament constituency.

UDF claim

The new Parliament segment will consist of the five Assembly segments of Idukki district — Thodupuzha, Udumbanchola, Devikulam, Idukki and Peerumade — and the Muvattupuzha and Kothamangalam segments in Ernakulam district. In other words, all of Idukki district and Kothamangalam taluk and part of Muvattupuzha taluk in Ernakulam district now form the Parliament segment.

“The delimited segment will strengthen the United Democratic Front (UDF) position,” says P.T. Thomas, District Congress Committee president. The character of the two Assembly segments which have come in place of the two that have been delinked is almost the same, he says. “There is a dominance of educated middle class population and the entire stretch had been a traditional stronghold the UDF.

Francis George, Kerala Congress (J) leader and sitting MP, too welcomes the delimitation process. (The party is a constituent of the Left Democratic Front.)

Advantages

The new exercise had made the Idukki Parliament segment more compact, according to him. Earlier, the Idukki segment was spread over four districts. These include all the five Assembly segments of Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Ranni from Pathanamthitta, Kuttampuzha panchayat from Ernakulam and one ward of the Erumeli panchayat in Kottayam district.

It was not geographically contiguous either. “We had to cross Kottayam to move to the two segments in Pathanamthitta district,” he says.

There are five panchayats in the Parliament segment each of which are spread over more than one district. Kumaramangalam, Kanjikkuzhi, Manjalloor, Kalloorkad, and Paingottur are spread over Ernakulam and Idukki districts and the latest delimitation process will help to reduce the complexities these panchayats faced.

However, more important would be the benefits the district will get by getting linked to Ernakulam district. Idukki, with its huge potential, can emerge as Kochi’s main hinterland, Mr. George says.

KC bastion

The constituency consists of areas where the Kerala Congress has deep roots. Assembly segments like Kothamangalam were among those from where KC representatives could stand and come out victorious on their own, Mr. George, representing the constituency for the second consecutive term, should know. His father and the founder of Kerala Congress K.M. George, was a three-time MLA from Kothamangalam.

In fact, Kothamangalm and Muvattupuzha can be termed Mr. George’s home turf. The latest process will have its impact not only in settling the political balance among the various fronts in the coming elections, but also among friends within the KC(J).

The man who lost his seat with the withering away of Muvattupuzha constituency is none other than P.C. Thomas, Mr. George’s colleague in the party.

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