Vadakara: The roads and bylanes here wear a festive look as India celebrates its festival of democracy once again. Like 542 other constituencies in the country that are electing its representatives to the Lower House of the Parliament, the voters of Vadakara in northern part of Kerala are witness to intense campaigning ahead of the polls scheduled in the state on April 23.
The beat of the drums is heard as we approach the beach at Azhithala from the road from the Vadakara Court complex. The narrow road was decked up with a sea of red festoons.
At the end, a specially designed vehicle was waiting for its master -- P Jayarajan, the CPM strongman and Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate from the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency.
Jayarajan, one of the most influential party leaders from Kannur and its former district secretary, was having breakfast at the house of Hyder, a fisherman.
Next to him was Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) leader Manayath Chandran.
Chandran was among the first from his party to come out against the LJD leadership's inability to successfully argue its case for contesting the Vadakara seat before the LDF leadership.
However, now Chandran has taken over the responsibility of ensuring Jayarajan's victory.
Political observers say it is also in LJD's interest as an LDF victory in Vadakara would also bring with it significant doles, including an assembly seat for the minor party to contest.
There are also firm political reasons behind starting the day's campaign from a predominantly Muslim area. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has immense clout in this locality.
Jayarajan's entourage has CPM flags all over it, though some Indian National League (INL) and LJD flags too are visible.
When his main rival, K Muraleedharan of the Congress hit the trail here earlier, half of the fluttering flags were IUML's, conveying its influence.
“This is a League (IUML) area, especially in the fishermen quarters. We are concentrating more on the coastal side this time as there is a change in the trend for the past few weeks. More people are participating in the bike rallies,” says Komalam, a CPM worker, who arrived at Hyder's house to meet Jayarajan.
Jayarajan was all smiles and offered a share of his food to a child who stood nearby. When the boy seemed hesitant to take up the offer, Jayarajan offered a banana from the table to the kid.
Throughout his campaign in Vadakara, a song praising him was played in an accompanying vehicle. The CPM had smirked at such a tendency earlier when the hymn came to its notice. Its state leadership had then found it as a promotion of an individual, above the party.
However, in Vadakara, the CPM's endeavour is to portray Jayarajan as a victim of political violence and as a leader who rose from the ashes.
So, there seems to be no hesitation in playing the same song throughout.
When the Congress candidate Muraleedharan gets a star's welcome here, Jayarajan is well-accepted in the crowd as one among themselves.
The admiration, care and respect for a mass leader was reflected throughout the campaign, and they didn't treat him like an 'outsider'.
It seems, Vadakara's votes would have to be shared between a candidate with star value and one who is a typical communist leader.
Before the main vehicle passes, the band tries to whip up up the mood among the fishermen colony. Jayarajan moved in the next, open vehicle, with Chandran and other aides.
At all the points where the vehicles stopped, Jayarajan talked about his helplessness in being portrayed as a criminal, a murderer ('kolayali') by the rival political front, the United Democratic Front (UDF). He points out that he himself is a survivor.
He recalled, how he was attacked and nearly killed on an Onam day a couple of decades ago.
“They are calling me a 'kolayali', while aligning with those who tried to kill me (a jibe at the alleged Congress-RSS alliance). I cannot reach every household, seeking votes. You, every supporter of the party, should go to every house three or four times, in my absence,” he continued.
Vadakara's two-time MP and KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran was also not spared.
“An MP who got elected for his development vision in Vadakara is not even available in the constituency. Where is the development in Vadakara? Did he complete at least one project he had promised? Jayarajan thundered.
When Jayarajan and his convoy reached Vadakara Cooperative Hospital, nurses and other staff members including security personnel thronged the area to see him.
At next destination, Veluthamala, one of the many party villages in the constituency, a huge crowd of women, especially mothers, had gathered.
Perhaps, the UDF ploy of hate campaigns linking him to political violence didn't work here, his campaign managers feel.
His palliative care initiatives in Kannur were the buzz among the women who gathered there, when the campaign team arrived.
In Veluthamala, CPM Onchiyam area secretary TP Bineesh was ripping apart the Congress and the RSS when Jayarajan's entourage arrived.
While Bineesh elaborated on the lack of development in Vadakara and fake claims of political rivals, including in the adjacent Kozhikode constituency, Jayarajan confined his talk to Vadakara alone.
When the campaign team proceeded, Chandran's wife Vimala Kalathil also joined.
Communalism will fail, Development will rule, the campaign songs proclaimed.
Scattered strongholds
Different parties or their allies dominate various swathes of Vadakara constituency.
While the Kallantavade, Kelu Bazaar and Kannookkara are strongholds of the RMP, the CPM, the RMP, and the Congress have pockets of influence in Pallivalappil and Azhiyur localities.
RMP was founded by slain former CPM leader T P Chandrasekharan. The CPM seems keen to avoid any mention of RMP, in a conscious bid to keep the focus away from the politics of violence which rivals are keen to cash in on.
Backing from Sunni faction
This election, the LDF is also banking on the support of the a major faction of the influential Sunni Muslim organisation Samastha Kerala Jemiyyathul Ulama. (The AP faction as it is called derives its name from its leader AP Aboobacker Musliyar.)
The LDF estimates this backing would come handy to tackle the Congress-led UDF's bid to highlight the brutal killings of Youth Congress leader SP Shuhaib and Muslim Students Federation (MSF) worker Ariyil Shukkoor.
After a hectic day, Jayarajan, who began the day's campaign from a rival stronghold, ended his campaign at another CPM stronghold – Crash Junction, near Malol.
