What happens when two candidates – A Sampath and Adoor Prakash – who have never lost an election take on each other? Attingal Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala will give an answer soon. CPM has named its sitting MP Sampath thinking the three-time winner will win again. Sampath’s familiar face is his USP in Attingal.
Adoor Prakash comes with confidence of wresting Konni Assembly constituency from CPM and retaining it for five terms. The recent poll gave him the highest victory margin fighting under toughest circumstances.
Shobha Surendran’s vigour makes BJP a strong opposition this time around.
Rise and fall of giants
Lok Sabha poll history and Assembly seat arithmetic give the Left Democratic Front (LDF) the edge. It has won 11 times as against the Congress-led United Democratic Front's 5 in Attingal, renamed after the delimitation of Chirayinkil in 2008. LDF holds five Assembly constituencies here, while the UDF has only Aruvikkara after the 2016 election to the state assembly.
Congress’ five wins in Chirayinkil was, however, consecutive. In 1971 Vayalar Ravi took on CPM's K Anirudhan -- Sampath's father -- who had trounced a mighty Congress leader R Shankar earlier. Ravi won big both in ‘71 and ‘77. But he lost to AA Rahim of Congress (I) when he stood as an LDF candidate as a Congress (U) candidate in 1980.
Thalekkunnil Basheer of the Congress won in 1984 and ’89. He beat CPM stalwart Susheela Gopalan in ’89. However, Congress has never won here after Susheela trounced Basheer in 1991. Varkala Radhakrishnan and Sampath won thrice each from 1996 onwards. Congress’s weakened organisational power has contributed to CPM’s victories of late. They, however, expect a turnaround this time.
Who’s the heavyweight?
CPM’s solid foundation in the constituency over the last seven Lok Sabha polls and wide acceptance in Assembly seats adds to Samapth’s confidence. His father late Anirudhan’s legacy is an added plus. His image as an MP on call too could become a winning factor, feels the LDF.
However, his political enemies point to lack of noticeable achievements despite three terms. Neither he nor the state government did anything to ease traffic blocks at Attingal on the highway, Venjaramoodu on MC Road, says the UDF camp.
The Congress banks on Adoor Prakash’s craft in garnering votes even in adverse conditions. He can make serious dents in CPM’s communal vote shares.The UDF is more united in Attingal after Prakash’s entry.
Shobha Surendran, who was seen in the forefront of Sabarimala protests, is confident as she enters the fray. BJP’s votes nearly doubled from 47,620 in 2009 to 90,528 in 2014. The party aims to become a bigger presence with a stronger candidate this time.
