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A quick tactical reassessment done by the central leadership found less merit in having Kummanam fight a byelection.
While the opposition UDF has a formidable task of retaining four of its sitting seats, the CPM-led LDF has to score big to recover from the rout in the parliamentary election.
A not-too-pleased Adoor Prakash was escorted and carried with great fanfare to the election convention of the Congress candidate P Mohanraj in Konni as though he was a groom determined not to take the hand of the bride.
Political commentator and former Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam Dr Cyriac Thomas shares many rare stories.
The exit poll predicted UDF win in Manjeswaram, Ernakulam and Vattiyoorkkavu, LDF win in Aroor and Konni, and NDA to draw a blank.
Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena, who had waged an all out battle against bogus voting during the last Lok Sabha polls, told that prompt action had already been taken to weed out irregularities in the electoral rolls.
As five assembly constituencies go to polls, there is no perceived threat to secularism. Nairs openly and unapologetically canvassing for UDF and the other dominant Hindu caste, Ezhavas, not so subtly throwing their weight behind LDF.
As many as 9,57,509 voters, including 4,91,455 women and 4,66,047 men, will elect their representatives from 35 candidates in the fray.
Vatiyoorkavu, Aroor, Konni, Ernakulam and Manjeswaram constituencies will vote on Monday for what is touted as a mini assembly election.
The LDF seems to have made major gains in the assembly bypolls in five constituencies after the Sabarimala backlash it suffered earlier this year in the LS elections.
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