Kerala bypolls: Thrikkakara is a traditional stronghold of Congress (Representational)
Kochi:
As the Thrikkakara constituency goes to polls on May 31 for the by-election, three major political fronts – the CPM-led Left Democratic Front, the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the BJP-led NDA – in Kerala won that seat. Has expressed confidence of victory, for which the campaigning ended on Sunday.
While the ruling LDF candidate, Dr Joe Joseph, believes that voters of Thrikakara, a traditional Congress stronghold, will opt for positive change and elect a ruling party MLA, Uma Thomas, the UDF candidate for the constituency. will be retained. by his party.
Meanwhile, BJP candidate AN Radhakrishnan is confident that with the support of senior politician PC George, who was recently arrested in two hate speech cases and released on bail, the National Democratic Front will win the election.
“Ernakulam is an economic center of Kerala and Thrikkakara is one of the most important constituencies here. But Thrikkakara does not have a proportionate development. Since its formation, this constituency has been ruled by the UDF. The Left government got a second term. Got it because the agenda of development. So, the people of Trikkakara have understood it and will vote for the Left,” Dr. Joseph told PTI.
Uma Thomas, widow of former MLA PT Thomas, said she wants to carry forward her late husband’s dream of development.
“First, it is a UDF constituency. Secondly, this constituency was well looked after by PT (Thomas). This by-election was necessary because of his untimely death. He used to meet people and take proactive steps for them. Used to raise it. PT was like a family member to the people here. This is a huge factor.”
Ms Thomas said she entered the contest as party workers urged her to handle her husband’s development plans for the constituency.
She said, “I want to continue what PT started. I will follow their footsteps and policies. I am 100 percent sure that I will win this election. All party workers worked efficiently for the elections here.” has done.”
Dr Joseph of the LDF said the outcome of this election would not affect the government which was already ruling with an overwhelming majority of 99 seats in the 140-seat assembly.
“The choice before Thrikkakara is whether they need an MLA from the ruling party or an opposition legislator. The people of Thrikkakara will definitely stand with the LDF,” he said.
Senior BJP leader and party’s state vice-president Mr. Radhakrishnan, who adopted a comparatively quiet election campaigning process, on Sunday expressed confidence as Mr. George, despite being called by Thiruvananthapuram police in a hate speech case, to campaign for the NDA. had come. last day candidate
“With the help of PC George, BJP will win this election. What George has said, Communist and Congress parties are silent. Communist and Congress party want to please the minority community. This time we will win the election and I am elected to the Legislative Assembly. Will go,” Mr. Radhakrishnan told his supporters in Palarivattam on Sunday.
The constituency, formed in 2011, had elected senior Congress leader Benny Behanan as its first MLA.
In the 2016 assembly election, PT Thomas got 61,268 votes, which was 45.42 percent of the electorate, while Sebastian Paul of CPI(M) got 49,455 votes. BJP’s S Saji got 21,247 votes that year.
However, in 2021, Mr Thomas won with a slightly lesser 59,839 votes, while the CPI(M) backed Dr J Jacob got 45,510 votes. In the 2021 elections, BJP got 15,483 votes.
Meanwhile, Twenty20, a political party backed by an industrial group here, fielded a candidate in 2021 and secured 13,897 votes.
Even though Twenty20 has tied up with the Aam Aadmi Party this time, they have not fielded any candidate but have asked people to vote judiciously.
Last year, the bypoll had to be held due to the death of PT Thomas.
The Left has deployed all its party machinery in the constituency which the Congress considers its impregnable stronghold. Several Left Front leaders, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet colleagues, and other MLAs were camping in the constituency to seek back seats from the Congress.
Congress leaders, however, are confident that its traditional seat which was strong with it even when there was a Left wave in 2021, will elect Uma Thomas to the state assembly.
Both the parties have tossed the Silverline project as an election campaign.
While the Congress-backed UDF campaigned that the proposed K-Rail was a costly project that would drive people out of their homes, the CPI(M) projected the developmental aspects of the semi-high speed rail project.
The elections will be held on May 31 and the counting of votes will take place on June 3.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)