A few steps beyond the St. George Orthodox Church in Puthuppally, Mariyamma Oommen, the wife of the late Congress luminary Oommen Chandy, solemnly stood before her husband’s tomb. Beside her, in a moment of prayer, was K. Francis George, the candidate fielded by the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kottayam.
“We are fulfilling what Oommen Chandy would have done had he been alive,”she expressed, as she passed a small bundle of currency notes to Mr. George. The money is intended to be deposited with the Election Authority as a guarantee for Mr. George’s nomination, scheduled for the following day.
“Oommen Chandy was more than just a name; he was a beacon of humanity and compassion,” remarked Mr. George, as the brief ceremony concluded and the predominantly UDF crowd began to disperse.
Election fervour
The solemn atmosphere inside the church premises transitioned into a charged election fervour outside. With the scene now set for a direct confrontation between rival factions of the Kerala Congress in Kottayam after four and a half decades, the electoral campaign here has transformed into a dynamic blend of vigour, anticipation, and fierce competition.
The coalition, which originally won the seat in 2019 and lost the seat following a switching of sides by the Kerala Congress (M) to the left, counts on extending its winning margin by cashing in on the perceived anti-incumbency wave against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala. It also expects the Mr. George’s image as a non-corrupt politician, will work in the party’s favour.
A high-performer
The LDF, on the other hand, regards that it clearly holds an early advantage by fielding Thomnas Chazhikadan, who is widely regarded as a high-performer among the parliamentarians in Kerala. It expects the progressive changes brought about by the successive LDF governments to turn into votes
Canvassing voters off Thalayazham near Vaikom, Mr. Chazhikadan receives support from a number of voters who acknowledge themselves as ardent left voters. “The situation on the ground is clearly in favour of us,’‘ he sounded upbeat. For Mr. Chazhikdan, who is also the sitting MP of the seat, the various development projects executed using his fund form the core of his electioneering. “Rate me based on my previous performances and cast your votes for the symbol two leaves,’’ he requests to the voters.
The coalition, meanwhile, also hopes to leverage the momentum it gained during the previous local body and Assembly elections to pull off a victory.
The National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) campaign is too marked by a more enthusiastic crowd in the region. Wherever its candidate Thushar Vellappally lands during the campaign, local functionaries of the coalition are making a beeline to greet him.
Rubber, faith, and development
An experienced campaigner he is, Mr.Vellappally knows a thing or two about the voters in Kottayam and has accordingly placed the focus on his campaign on the three planks of rubber, faith, and development by the Narendra Modi government. “If I am elected to the Parliament, one of the first things that I will do for Kottayam is to hike the price of natural rubber to ₹250. I have already received assurances in this regard from the NDA,’’ he says, interacting with the voters in Pala.
Eyeing the young voters, he also touches upon various development and welfare projects initiated by the Modi government during the public interactions at the plantation areas.
Besides the three main fronts, 12 others, including the SUCI and BSP, are also in the fray here.
