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Kerala

Local issues hold the key here

Mini Muringatheri

Campaign managers not able to gauge electorate’s inclination in Chalakudy

AMONG THE MASSES: (Top) K.P. Dhanapalan, UDF candidate, meets voters at Athani, near Angamaly; and (above) U.P. Joseph, LDF candidate, musters support for his campaign.

AMONG THE MASSES: (Top) K.P. Dhanapalan, UDF candidate, meets voters at Athani, near Angamaly; and (above) U.P. Joseph, LDF candidate, musters support for his campaign.

Chalakudy: As local issues determine political undercurrents in the newly-formed Chalakudy Parliamentary constituency, both fronts claim to have an edge over each other.

Campaign managers, however, insist it is still difficult to gauge the electorate’s inclination.

The best efforts of United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate K.P. Dhanapalan and his rival U.P. Joseph of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) notwithstanding, the campaign in the constituency remains low-key.

Issues such as price rise, SNC Lavalin case, Indo-U.S. nuclear deal and recession dominate the pre-poll political discourse. But local issues hold the key. Candidates feel the heat when it comes to debate on stunted local development, shuttered industries and the Athirappilly hydel project.

Mr. Joseph, a native, is on the defensive over the proposed 163-MW Athirappilly project. Apart from causing serious environmental problems, the project will also displace Kadar tribesmen and deplete water resources in 19 panchayats and two municipalities. Despite widespread resistance, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is all for the project. All other parties, including the CPI, oppose it.

Both in the dock

Both fronts are in the dock over closure of a number of industrial units, including Travancore Rayons, Toshiba Anand and Premier Cables Company.

Factionalism in the Congress spoiled its dream in the previous Assembly election, but the party enjoys the renewed vigour of unity this time (LDF’s Lonappan Nambadan created history by scoring a majority of 1.17 lakh votes against UDF candidate Padmaja Venugopal in the 2004 election). The UDF camp is optimistic that it will retain its traditional citadel.

The Congress also banks on the popularity of Mr. Dhanapalan in the constituency. Of the seven Assembly segments, he is familiar with the four in Ernakulam district (Perumbavoor, Angamaly, Aluva and Kunnathunad). He had contested from Kodungalloor in 1987.

The LDF campaign highlights a pro-Left situation persisting in the constituency. Most of the Assembly segments and local bodies are under Left control. The huge majority scored by Mr. Nambadan in the previous election boosts the confidence of the Left. The plantation belt in the constituency is a red bastion.

The LDF camp works hard to retain the support of Janata Dal (Secular) voters. Angamaly MLA and Janata Dal (Secular) leader Jose Thettayil is actively involved in the campaign.

Christian vote bank

The Christian vote bank in the constituency is sizeable and influential. The traditionally pro-UDF vote bank veered towards the Left in the previous Lok Sabha elections contributing to the huge majority of Mr. Nambadan.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate K.V. Sabu claims that he will get a share of Jacobite votes, which form almost one-third of the total Christian votes.

Jacobite Syrian Church managing committee member and a cousin of Baselios Thomas I, Mr. Sabu expects the support of his community.

It is still difficult to gauge the inclination of substantial Muslim voters in the Aluva region. Both the Popular Front of India and the People’s Democratic Party claim to have influence in the region.

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