Alappuzha: SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Nadesan gets to keep his hair intact after surviving a ‘bald dare’. Nadesan had said he would shave off his hair if LDF candidate AM Arif lost.
Arif’s victory is his community’s revenge on Congress’s district leadership, he said. He alleges they abuse the community. The Left too has lost favour among backward communities.
Organisational errors led to Thushar Vellappally winning lesser seats in Wayanad than the BDJS candidate in Mavelikkara. Thrissur would have been a better option for him. The community and party have deeper roots there.
But a loss was certain. He chose Wayanad for a mightier battle.
UDF benefitted from a state-wide minority consolidation. Left’s loss of face in handling Sabarimala issue reflected in Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta.
Natesan’s bets
1999 - After a tiff with VM Sudheeran, Natesan said the Congress leader will lose to Left’s Murali, the actor. But Sudheeran won big.
2011 - Natesan entered into three bets and won two. He feigned ignorance of the third he lost.
Vakkom Purushothaman claimed UDF will win more than 85 seats in that election. Natesan challenged him saying UDF will not win over 75. Vakkom said he will visit Natesan and gift him a gold ring if he lost, and Natesan had to do the same if he lost. UDF ended up with 72 seats in 2011. Vakkom kept his promise and visited Natesan to gift a ring.
In the same election, Natesan said KR Gowri Amma would lose. A gold ring was the bet this time too. He won again as Gowri Amma lost.
In the same poll, Natesan said he will take half his moustache if PC Vishnunath wins. Viswanath won, but Natesan ‘forgot’ about the bet.
2014 - Natesan predicted KC Venugopal’s loss. But he won. Natesan, however, had not entered into a bet with anyone at that time.
