Film actor Mukesh, who had been facing charges of absenteeism right from the time he took over as Kollam MLA and was not the choice of the local party bigwigs, will win, according to the results of the Manorama News-VMR Kerala Exit Poll released on Friday. The poll says he would succeed with 41.8 percent votes.
Close behind would be Congress's Bindu Krishna with 34 percent votes.
Bindu Krishna, who was Kollam DCC president before becoming the candidate, had groomed the constituency during the four years she helmed the Congress in the district. When the floods struck and COVID-19 ravaged the constituency, she was more visible than Mukesh.
BJP's M Sunil will be third with 20.1% votes. BJP had never stood a chance in Kollam and their sole objective is to improve their vote share.
The deep sea fishing deal with a US multinational company also had a strong impact on the constituency with a strong coastal presence. The encyclical of the Latin Church's Kollam diocese against the deep sea fishing deal was read in over 120 churches within the constituency, a move that had rattled the Mukesh camp. The coastal community in the constituency was also worried about the infrastructure projects, including a cement plant, lined up along the Kollam shore under the LDF government.
It was also said that the local CPM leadership were cold to the star's candidacy. If Mukesh could still overcome these advantages, both personal and political, it speaks volumes about the charisma the man possesses. The constituency has been with the CPM since 2006 when P K Gurudasan trounced two-time MLA Babu Divakaran.
