It is not yet noon, but summer heat is picking up at Koolikkunnu village of Velom grama panchayat in the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency on a Thursday morning. Undeterred, scores of women, children, and men are huddled around a makeshift stage, listening to a speech by K.K. Shailaja, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate.
“Your faces reflect our determination to win. Though I wish to meet each voter in the constituency, it is not practically possible. So, I request you to tell the people close to you to vote for me,” she says. Earlier, Ms. Shailaja was welcomed in a procession which had girls dressed up in Mohiniyattam costumes and local artistes playing drums. Children and women, carrying white and red-coloured balloons with Ms. Shailaja’s pictures printed on them, take their seats in front of the stage.
While explaining the importance of the Lok Sabha polls, Ms. Shailaja, Mattannur MLA, claims she will raise the voice of the labourers, women, youth, and farmers in the Parliament. The LDF candidate also highlights her tenure as the Health Minister in the first Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet to point out how she worked among the people and also improved the infrastructure in government hospitals. Criticising the Union government for strangling Kerala’s finances, she also blames United Democratic Front (UDF) MPs for their alleged apathy towards people’s concerns, before moving on to another venue.
Around 20 km away, in Vadakara town, C.R. Praphul Krishnan, National Democratic Alliance candidate, is meeting a delegation from Wayanad at his election committee office in the afternoon. Functionaries of the Poozhithode-Padinjarathara Road Karmasamithi, which is demanding an alternative road connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad districts, seek his help to make the project a reality. “It is caught in red tape because there are some objections related to a small stretch in the forests. I will take it up with the authorities,” he promises them. Mr. Krishnan says his plans for the constituency include a university for the traditional martial art, Kalaripayattu, and tourism projects connecting Kappad, Koyilandy, and other major beaches.
At the same time, Shafi Parambil, the UDF candidate, is travelling to Koovapoyil, near Peruvannamuzhy, in Chakkittapara grama panchayat. Meeting the staff of Shalom TV, he claims he can be their voice in Parliament. “My promise is that you will never regret your decision if you elect me as an MP,” Mr. Parambil, Palakkad MLA, says.
Earlier in the afternoon, the Congress leader submitted his nomination papers to P. Anvar Sadath, Revenue Divisional Officer, Vadakara. Ahead of it, a roadshow featuring large number of women, including K.K. Rema, Vadakara MLA, and Achu Oommen, daughter of the late Oommen Chandy, among others, was taken out from the new bus stand premises. In her speech, Ms. Rema sought votes against the “culture of political violence” and the anti-people policies of the Union and State governments. The last word is yet to be out in this battle between MLAs.
