Two open jeeps are parked at the Koorali junction, from one of it an announcement can be heard that UDF candidate Jose Tom would be arriving there soon. A medical shop, an outlet of Supplyco, a bakery, a restaurant … Koorali is a typical junction that can be found everywhere across Kerala. One piercing voice is coming out of a loudspeaker - that of Advocate Senapathi Venu, a Congress leader. Venu, a leader based in Idukki, has come to campaign for the United Democratic Front candidate for the bye-election in Pala and was speaking to fill time before the candidate arrives.
The bye-election will be held on September 23 and the counting of votes will happen on September 27. Friday, September 20 marked the culmination of public campaigning. The political parties opted to end their campaigns on Friday because of the observation of the death anniversary of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru on Saturday.
Mani C Kappan of the Nationalist Congress Party is the candidate for CPI(M) led Left Democratic Front, while N Hari is the candidate for the BJP-led NDA.
In a few minutes, Kerala Congress (M) candidate Jose Tom arrives at Koorali along with a convoy of several vehicles. The candidate finishes soliciting of votes soon, confining his speech to a few words. The convoy then leaves for the next place - Pathamkallu which is a smaller junction with less crowd.
Jose Tom campaigns
Pala in Kottayam district is a serene, green town with most of the amenities of a big city that very well reflect the lifestyle of the people - who are predominantly middle class and above.
Kerala Congress (M) patriarch KM Mani had been synonymous with the Assembly constituency. Mani is the only legislator who represented Pala for a record tenure of 54 years from 1965 to 2019. He won 13 Assembly elections consecutively.
Mani – a pragmatic politician who unilaterally held the reins of the party and who always enjoyed the status of an undisputed leader of Pala and that of the party, was fondly called Mani Sir. KM Mani died on April 28, which necessitated the bye-election in Pala.
NCP’s Mani C Kappan is a businessman, a film producer and an actor as well who took on his namesake in the 2016 Assembly Elections. While KM Mani emerged the winner, Mani C Kappan was able to challenge the former by reducing his margin to 4674 votes.
Mani C Kappan and the LDF leaders including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who campaigned for him, stress on the fact that the constituency needs an ‘emancipation’ from the reign of KC(M).
Pala, the UDF bastion
Pala has traditionally been a bastion of the Congress-led UDF. Pala is the headquarters of the Kerala Congress (M) with rival parties not able to penetrate as strongly as KC(M).
In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections - the first election after KM Mani’s death - KC(M)’S Thomas Chazhikkadan won with a majority of 33,472 votes by defeating his nearest rival M Vasavan, the Kottayam district secretary of the CPI(M).
Left Democratic Front secured 33,499 votes in the Pala Assembly constituency in the LS elections which was 25.96% of the total votes polled. On the other hand, UDF won 66,971 votes which constituted 51.90% of the total votes. The NDA secured 26,533 votes, 20.56% of the total votes polled. The panchayats in the constituency are Ramapuram, Kadanad, Melukavu, Moonnilav, Thalanad, Thalappulam, Bharananganam, Karur, Mootholi, Pala, Meenachil, Kozhuvananal and Elikkulam. UDF had a clear majority in all the panchayats in the LS polls.
KM Mani’s run of triumphs at Pala began in 1965 after he defeated the LDF candidate by 9,585 votes. In all the subsequent elections, except in 1970 and in 2016, Mani had won by a comfortable margin. In the 2016 Assembly elections, the UDF secured 58,490 votes while the votes of the LDF were 53,816. The BJP got 24,724 votes.
Being the UDF bastion makes the coalition confident of its victory and the majority in the LS elections has boosted their confidence. Hindu as well as Christian votes have been traditionally garnered by the UDF.
The total number of voters are 1,77,550 — the number of male voters are 87,034 and female voters are 90,616.
UDF cashes in on Sabarimala
The UDF has been using women’s entry into Sabarimala temple and the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of menstruating age inside the temple, as a vital campaign issue. From Senapathy Venu to senior leader AK Antony to Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and Congress’ ally, RSP MP NK Premachandranm, the UDF leaders spoke about Sabarimala in Pala. Through this, they targeted both the Left and the BJP — the Left for hurting the sentiments of the believers and the BJP for not bringing an ordinance to bypass the SC order.
The BJP, which had vehemently made use of the issue during the Lok Sabha Elections, on their part largely abstained from raising the controversial subject. Union Minister of State V Muraleedharan at a press meet on Thursday said that the matter was sub-judice and hence he won’t comment on it.
Fervent campaigning
The verdict of the bye-election won’t have any impact on the ruling LDF as the coalition has a comfortable majority in the Assembly having won 93 out of the total 140 seats. Still, the campaign for the bye-election has been vigorous with prominent leaders of all the three fronts actively participating in the campaign.
Though the infighting in the KC(M) between the faction led by KM Mani’s son Jose K Mani, MP, and that led by senior leader PJ Joseph, MLA, had worsened in the initial days of campaigning. Joseph and his close confidant Mons Joseph MLA took part in the campaign for Jose Tom. KC(M)’s working chairman PJ Joseph had opposed fielding a candidate chosen by Jose K Mani and he remained adamant by not giving a letter to allow the two leaves party symbol to Jose Tom. He is now contesting under the pineapple symbol.
The UDF also put the Left on the defensive by speaking about the alleged irregularities in spending funds from then Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). They also kept alive the sentiments on KM Mani. KM Mani’s picture has also been used in the posters set up for Jose Tom. The candidate throughout the campaign would remind the voters that he ‘should win to keep the memories of KM Mani alive’.
The LDF, however, is mostly keeping a low profile. The leaders’ have been campaigning by seeking a change for Pala.
“Pala was in slavery for years, which should be broken. Send Mani C Kappan with us to the Assembly, a person like him is needed there,” says senior leader of the CPI C Divakaran MLA, at a campaign meeting at Paika. He also spoke on the scams that had dogged the previous UDF government - “Can anyone find any corruption related to buying even a safety pin in the incumbent LDF government?” he asks.
Pinarayi Vijayan, in the same meeting, while speaking elaborately on the developmental activities of the government, also asked the people to vote for change. Both the leaders referred to the charges against former minister VK Ibrahim Kunju in a scam related to the building of Palarivattom flyover in Kochi. The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has been investigating the case and the charges against the IUML, another ally of the Congress.
Mani C Kappan with Pinarayi Vijayan
Mani C Kappan lost in three consecutive elections to KM Mani. “I could reduce the margin of KM Mani in the 2016 elections to less than 5000 votes. How will the UDF’s campaign on Mani’s popularity make any impact on voters now when he is not alive?” he tells TNM while campaigning in Elamkulam.
“I have no idea why the UDF project Sabarimala as an issue against devotees. I am a believer and I am part of the LDF. Also what did the decades-long KC(M) rule give to Pala. The rubber farmers are under utter distress and those who ruled Pala have not done anything to effectively check the steep fall in rubber prices. I am quite confident about the victory,” he added.
Jose Tom said that he is confident about the victory. “In this election, even PJ Joseph joined in the campaign for me. I am not sad that I didn’t get the two leaves symbol. After the fall in rubber prices, farmers shifted to pineapple cultivation and hence the symbol is very familiar in the constituency,” he told TNM, while meeting voters in Koorali.
However, whether the LDF will manage to break into the traditional vote bank of the UDF, is the question raised by its supporters. For the BJP, the question is whether they would better their vote share from the previous elections.