Lok Sabha elections | Congress faces difficult day in two key constituencies in Kerala

April 06, 2024 03:36 pm | Updated 03:37 pm IST - Thiruvananthapuram

The Congress-led United Democratic Front’s (UDF) election campaign seemingly faced a challenging day on April 6 (Saturday) in at least two key Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala.

In Thiruvananthapuram, the perceived despondency in Congress ranks following the defections of two senior grassroots-level leaders to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last month, coupled with a tangible lack of campaign funds, arguably turned to despair as another Congress veteran left the party to join the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)].

On Saturday, the CPI(M) welcomed Vellanad Sasi, a Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) executive member and well-known leader in Thiruvananthapuram district, into its fold with much fanfare. The Congress quickly expelled him from the party and sought to downplay the defection.

The CPI(M) spread word that Mr. Sasi and other secular-minded Congress workers were “upset” over Adoor Prakash’s, the incumbent MP and Congress candidate from the Attingal Lok Sabha constituency, alleged moves to court the Sangh Parivar. Mr. Prakash’s campaign has since rubbished the accusation.

Nevertheless, the CPI(M) hoped to use Mr. Sasi’s defection as another bullhorn to amplify its campaign refrain that the ideological line between the Congress and the BJP was blurred.

The CPI(M) has fielded V. Joy, MLA, against Mr. Prakash and Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan in Attingal.

The CPI(M) and the Congress reportedly estimated that the battle for Attingal primarily revolves around harnessing backward-class and minority votes, and both hoped to play up the Sangh Parivar spectre.

Mutiny in UDF in Kottayam

A high-profile mutiny in the UDF in the Kottayam Lok Sabha constituency made the Opposition alliance look increasingly shaky and downcast.

The UDF chairman in the district, Saji Manjakadambil, resigned from the post, raising a litany of charges against his party colleague and Kerala Congress (Joseph) [KC(J)] leader, Mons Joseph, MLA.

He also resigned from the post of district president of the KC(J) in Kottayam, a critical Congress ally in the Christian heartlands of Central Kerala.

Mr. Manjakadambil said at a press conference, somewhat ominously for the UDF, that he felt sidelined in the alliance and Mr. Joseph’s alleged game of one-upmanship had put off KC(J) workers.

Mr . Manjakadambil claimed that he was quitting politics, triggering speculation that he might gravitate towards the LDF during the critical make-or-break campaign phase.

Notably, the battle for the Kottayam parliamentary segment also has the makings of a sibling rivalry.

Kerala Congress [KC] leader and incumbent MP Thomas Chazhikadan of the LDF is battling two-time MP K. Francis George of the Kerala Congress (J).

Both parties were traditional UDF allies until the KC(M) joined the LDF fold in 2020.

The NDA candidate is Thushar Vellappally of the BDJS.