Kalpetta: In Valal of Kottathara grama panchayat, an unusual contest is unfolding. A former schoolteacher is locked in a three way fight against two of his own former students in the 12th ward. All three sides agree that in an ideological battle there is no room for softness, even when the opponents share a classroom history. Politics, they say, demands a campaign without compromise.

While P Suresh, former teacher at the Government UP School, Valal, is the LDF candidate in the ward, his former students Justin Cyriac and Jithin Jith are contesting for the UDF and BJP, respectively.

Valal has long been a Congress stronghold. The LDF fielded Suresh with a clear strategy to wrest the ward from the UDF. Suresh taught at the Valal GUP School for 29 years and commands significant goodwill among former students and parents across the panchayat. He previously won from another ward that has since been reserved for women and has also served as the president of the Kottathara Service Cooperative Bank. Justin is the treasurer of the Gram Chaithanya Library of Valal, while Jithin is the ward level committee secretary of the BJP.

According to Justin, there can be no let up in the campaign. He told Onmanorama that while the teacher student relationship remains intact, it has no bearing on the electoral fight.

"We represent different political parties, and our campaign is focused on ideological and developmental issues," he said. He added that the ward has a strong UDF character and remains confident of victory.

While the two first timers push ahead with youthful energy, Suresh is equally upbeat. He told Onmanorama that he hopes to rewrite the history of the Valal ward.

"With my decades long role as a teacher and a wide base of former students and parents, I believe this time I can win," he said. On facing his former students in the fray, Suresh said the situation was unexpected but cordial. "Politics will not affect the relationship between us as teacher and students," he added.