Pepped-up Congress hopes to make amends in CPM fort Palakkad

The fight for Lok Sabha entry from the Palakkad constituency in Kerala is like what happens on a typical summer day. Candidates have to beat not only the heat but also the opposition in a hot race. Both the three major fronts in the fray have reasons to be optimistic about the poll outcome.

CPM’s sitting MP MB Rajesh won with a mere 1,820 votes in 2009, but he bagged 1,05,300 votes over UDF’s MP Virendrakumar in 2014. However, Congress claims it has fixed the issues that led to its big defeat in 2014. They are confident of DCC president VK Sreekandan wresting the seat back. Meanwhile, BJP banks on 2016’s second-place show in Malampuzha and Palakkad Assembly seats. C Krishnakumar, who came second to VS Achuthanandan in Malampuzha, is its Lok Sabha candidate here.

The Palakkad seat, which EK Nayanar (1967) and AKG (‘71) had won, was taken by Congress’ A Sunna Sahib in 1977. Congress' VS Vijayaraghavan retained it in ’80 and ’84. A Vijayaraghavan of CPM became MP in 1989. But VS Vijayaraghavan took it back in 1991. Thereafter, CPM’s AN Krishnadas won from 1996 to 2004 and Rajesh subsequently.

In 2014, six of the seven Assembly constituencies in Palakkad stood with LDF. In the 2016 assembly polls, LDF took five, while UDF got two. For BJP, it is a matter of pride since Palakkad is the only municipality in the state it rules.

Burning issues

Issues ranging from the poor state of Attappadi tribal area to the establishment of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) feature in campaigns here. Rajesh claims his efforts brought the IIT to Palakkad. He also claims the opening of Passport Seva Centres, railway development and rejuvenation of ITI Limited, a public sector concern. The CPM candidate, however, blames the central government for the delay in setting up the Kanjikode Coach Factory.

The Congress highlights the coach factory issue to attack both CPM and BJP. It also bring up the case of Adivasi youth Madhu, who was beaten to death last year for stealing food, to bust tall claims of development in health and tribal matters.

BJP president Amit Shah himself accused the LDF of sabotaging several welfare projects here because of political enmity.

Rajesh takes credit for building an open gym at Kottamaidanam in the heart of Palakkad town using MP funds.

"When people throng gyms, fewer go to hospitals," he had remarked.

Though Rajesh went on to become DYFI national president and then Lok Sabha MP, the SFI leader from Ottapalam NSS College remains closer to home and its people. He remains CPM’s national presence in Parliament and national media. These won him a third-time candidacy.

‘Jaiho’ Sreekandan

Sreekandan banks on the party’s local strength built through his ‘Jaiho’ walkathon even in remote villages. Candidates were not even declared when he walked 400 km across the constituency in blistering heat. Shafi Parambil’s name was also doing the rounds as a probable candiadte then. But he himself said, ‘Sreekandan will contest, and I will lead the campaign.’ Such is the bond at the district level in party.

Sreekandan was a KSU member and classmate of Rajesh in the pre-degree course in the early 1990s. He went on to become Youth Congress’s national general secretary and is now the Palakkad DCC president and a member of the Shoranur Municipality.

Krishnakumar’s popularity

Krishnakumar is BJP’s face in the district. He has personal connections beyond party bonds. The municipality vice-chairman was in the forefront of Sabarimala agitations in district. It is claimed Krishnakumar’s leadership has been instrumental in bringing central development projects to the region.