While election promises often fade once ballots are counted, Jabakani of Lonetree near Upputhara in Idukki chose a different path. Despite losing the recent local body election, she kept her promise to build a road to a nearby church, completing the work entirely on her own.

Jabakani contested the Lonetree ward of the Upputhara Grama Panchayat as a DMK candidate. The area is known for its scenic beauty and lies close to the popular hill stations of Vagamon and Kuttikanam. Tourists often take detours into the scattered villages to experience the pristine landscape, where tea plantations are lined by crystal-clear brooks, and mist-covered hills offer striking, real-life photographic visuals.

Beneath this picturesque surface, however, lies the reality of the local workforce that depends almost entirely on the tea estates for survival. A majority of the residents of Lonetree and nearby areas earn their livelihood from plantation work and live in line houses, many of which lack basic infrastructure and often bear little resemblance to the glamour associated with the region's tourist image.

Jabakani herself lives in one such line house. As a native of the area, she knows the everyday struggles faced by the community and the infrastructural gaps that continue to affect their lives. Her election campaign focused on addressing the basic civic issues faced by residents. "There are drinking water problems in the area, and some of the roads are in very poor condition," Jabakani said.

She explained that the road to the Seventh Day Church, where worship is held every Saturday, was in such poor shape that no vehicles could pass through it. The two-kilometre stretch, located inside the Peermade Tea Company estate, could earlier be accessed only by motorcycles.

"I had given the people my word that I would build the road. Even though I lost the election, I wanted to keep that promise. That is why I hired a JCB and decided to construct the road to the church, which is mainly used by local residents," said Jabakani, who earns her livelihood through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), now known as VB-G RAM G.

The total cost of the work was around ₹15,000, and Jabakani received no assistance from anyone. "I pooled whatever little savings I had and also took small hand loans to complete the work," she said. She added that no ward member had previously shown interest in taking up the project. "I know the issues here, and that is why I took it up," she said.

Jabakani said that now even a truck can easily get to the church. Her commitment did not end there. Jabakani also paid ₹4,200 to install a streetlight along the road leading to the Open Door Church near the factory area in Lonetree.

Until the end of 2000, Jabakani worked as a temporary employee at the Peermade Tea Company, where her husband, Swamidasan, served as a superintendent. The company later ceased operations following various issues, forcing her out of employment. The shutdown severely affected the workforce, with all temporary workers compelled to seek alternative means of livelihood.

Her financial situation deteriorated further in 2015 when her husband suffered a heart attack and underwent angioplasty. He was unable to resume work thereafter, leaving Jabakani to shoulder the responsibility of sustaining the family amid mounting difficulties.

Despite these hardships, she remained actively involved in social work, helping anyone in need. Then, as an RSP leader, she contested the 2020 local body elections under the UDF banner. "I lost that election because the Congress party betrayed me. Some party workers worked against me and canvassed voters to oppose me," she alleged.

Jabakani said she was denied the opportunity to contest again by the same group during the recent elections. "Had I won this time, I would have become the panchayat president, and they knew that. That is why I was denied the seat by the UDF," she said. Undeterred, she decided to contest as an independent candidate with the backing of local residents. "It was at that time that the DMK offered to support me. That is how I became a DMK candidate," she said.

She added that she had taken loans to meet election expenses but still managed a strong performance in the three-cornered contest. Jabakani secured 200 votes- just 20 fewer than CPI candidate Radhika- while Congress candidate Jolly emerged victorious.

Jabakani said the electoral defeat would not deter her from continuing to serve the people of her area. Despite her financial constraints, she said she would carry on social work in whatever way she could.