The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], Congress, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are gearing up for an early byelection in the Puthuppally Assembly constituency.
The seat has been left vacant following the death of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. They anticipate the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hold the bypoll along with elections in five States in November-December.
The CPI(M) seems acutely aware that the Congress and BJP would cast the byelection as a litmus test of the Pinarayi Vijayan government’s popularity.
Moreover, the three parties would granularly analyse the polling pattern in Puthuppally to gauge the electorate’s voting behaviour ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The CPI(M) State secretariat, which met here on Friday, reportedly appraised the altered political environment, given the forthcoming bypoll triggered by Chandy’s death. The CPI(M) reportedly did not sense any broad trends moving firmly against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. Its campaign, focussed partially on minority votes, could also hinge on Congress’ alleged equivocation on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
The CPI(M) would also spotlight the Centre’s failure to put out the communal violence that overwhelmingly targeted Christians in Manipur. The CPI(M) also weighed how the Orthodox-Jacobite conflict over the administration of Church property could impact the bypoll.
A party insider pointed out that the CPI(M) candidate from the Jacobite community, Jake. C. Thomas, who contested against Oommen Chandy, a member of the Orthodox faction, in the 2021 Assembly elections had given the veteran leader a tough fight and significantly dented the latter’s victory margin. Moreover, the CPI(M ) drew confidence because it controlled six of the eight panchayats that comprised the Puthuppally Assembly constituency.
Meanwhile, Congress leader K.C. Joseph, MLA, a close Oommen Chandy confidant, did not rule out speculation that Chandy Oommen would enter the electoral fray. The party seems mindful that an adverse result in Puthuppally would stoke fear that the United Democratic Front (UDF) is headed for a defeat in the general elections next year.
BJP State President K. Surendran said the Congress and CPI(M) wrongly portrayed the Manipur violence as communal and anti-Christian and were on the same side. He said the scandals, stalled development, cost-of-living crisis, and poor public image weighed down the Left Democratic Front government.
