Adoor Prakash perhaps was the only senior Congress leader in Kerala who had the stomach for a fight this time. Others like K C Venugopal, Mullappally Ramachandran, V M Sudheeran, even Oommen Chandy - leaders whom the party desperately wanted in the fray - gave the impression of having chickened out. Even K Muraleedharan looked a bit reluctant before he happily agreed.
The Konni MLA was also perhaps the only candidate, besides the sitting MPs, both the Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala factions, had no trouble seconding during the bitter candidate selection process. Curiously, Adoor Prakash did not even think twice about shifting from his den, midland Konni, to a relatively alien turf, coastal Attingal. He did not even claim Pathanamthitta, where his chances, many say, are higher than Anto Antony's.
Attingal is a high-risk constituency for Prakash, too, as it is seen as a CPM citadel. Attingal is not exactly a CPM bastion, many Congress leaders like Vayalar Ravi and Thalekkunnil Basheer have won from there, but its present MP A Sampath looks invincible. Sampath, who has been holding Attingal for two consecutive terms, is considered so formidable that even the CPM relaxed its rules for him. Usually, the CPM does not give its members a third chance. Not even Sitaram Yechury was allowed the favour.
What's more, the constituency has a very decisive presence of Ezhava community, which has traditionally inclined towards the Left. The Sivagiri Mutt, the spiritual abode of the community, also falls within Attingal's Varkala segment.
It is into such a seemingly difficult position that Adoor Prakash has confidently walked in as the challenger. What might have prompted a popular MLA to potentially desert his home turf from where he was elected five times, always with ballooning margins, and can reasonably expect to win again?
The immediate answer would be that a loss would not matter much as Konni is safe in his hands. However, people close to Prakash say he is not an impulsive politician. “Even his business decisions are taken after a lot of thought. He is not what you can call an adventurous person,” a long-time associate said. “He is too clever a politician to take up a challenge that has less than 75 per cent chance of a win,” he added. The friend said Prakash would have had quit the race had Alappuzha been offered to him.
So what made Prakash think he could win Attingal? He knew the party will stand united behind him, which was nearly half the battle won. Before agreeing to contest from Attingal, he made sure that he did not step on anybody's toes. He had a chat with possible contenders, including Varkala Kahar and Bindu Krishna, before he gave his consent. In 2014, Congress workers were not generally enthused by the candidature of Bindu Krishna. There were also charges of cross voting.
Before taking the plunge, he also secured the backing of Vellappally Natesan. The SNDP Yogam general secretary bluntly told him that the support will not be extended if he plans to contest from Alappuzha. Prakash's SNDP links will also be played up. His father Adoor Kunjiraman is said to be a staunch Sree Narayana Guru devotee. “Kunjiraman's devotion was such that he constructed a house near the Guru samadhi in Sivagiri,” a Congress worker said, giving a hint of the campaign narrative that the Congress would unveil in Attingal.
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History, too, was not discouraging. Though the constituency had favoured CPM candidates more, Ezhava and Muslim candidates from the Congress too were readily accepted. Vayalar Ravi won Chirayankil (as the constituency was known till it was renamed Attingal in 2014) twice, in 1971 and 1977. A A Rahim once, in 1980, and Thalekkunnil Basheer twice, in 1984 and 1989.
On top of all this, Prakash has the money power. “A tough contest like Attingal will force a candidate to shell out Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore. The Congress party, at the moment, does not have the resources. That is why a candidate like Adoor Prakash who can raise the money all on his own comes in handy,” a Congress leader said.
Money is also why many potential Congress candidates had backed out from contesting from Attingal. This time, the Congress guideline for aspiring candidates had one unprecedented feature. Anyone wishing to be a candidate has to provide their bank statements for the past five years. The message was clear. Only those who can cough up the money for the campaign need to contest. The party cannot be expected to pitch in. Adoor Prakash fits the bill perfectly.