The CPM is moving heaven and earth in an attempt to wrest the Thrikkakara assembly seat, a traditional UDF bastion, where a bypoll necessitated by the demise of its sitting legislator is to be held on May 31.
The lead partner in the ruling Left Democratic Front is unleashing something akin to what is called attrition warfare in military terminology, or wearing down rivals almost to collapse.
The CPM has deployed its entire party machinery to register its first win in the Thrikkakara constituency, which has elected only Congress legislators since its formation in 2011. The CPM has fielded Dr Jo Joseph, a cardiologist at the Lissie Hospital, Kochi, against Congress' Uma Thomas, the widow of Congress leader P T Thomas.
Senior leader A N Radhakrishnan is the BJP candidate.
For Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Thrikkakara bypoll, the first in his second term as CM, has turned out to be a prestigious battle as a win in the Congress stronghold could be flaunted as a mandate in favour of his ambitious yet controversial SilverLine semi high-speed rail project.
A win is also arithmetically alluring as it would raise the LDF's tally in the 140-member assembly to three figures.
Hence the maximum use of force, leaving the opponents little space to breathe.
Ministers, MLAs on ground zero
In any bypoll, it is natural that the ruling party uses all its might to win the seat at stake as a defeat would always be perceived to be a sign of anti-incumbency. However, the way the LDF has deployed its machinery in Thrikkakara is unparalleled.
All the ministers in the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Cabinet and 60-odd MLAs belonging to the LDF have been at the campaign front. They have been tasked with door-to-door campaigns, addressing family meets and gathering support in all possible ways. CM Vijayan himself is leading the campaign.
He had attended a series of local party meetings in the initial days of the campaign.
A look at the deployment of its leadership on the battleground just a day may offer a clear picture of the Left camp's all-out electioneering. On Friday, there were 10 ministers on the field – K Radhakrishnan at Vennala, Muhammed Riyas at Thammanam, Veena George at Palarivattom, K Rajan and V N Vasavan at Kadavanthra, V Sivankutty at Edappally, K N Balagopal, Roshy Augustine and Saji Cherian at Vyttila and Ahammed Devarkovil at Thrikkakara central. Six former ministers – P K Sreemathi, Ramachandran Kadannappilly, Thomas Isaac, C Raveendranath, A K Balan and K T Jaleel – were also assigned different areas to seek votes on Friday.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself had camped in the constituency during the initial days of the campaign.
“Ruling fronts using its maximum force in bypolls is not something new. But what we are witnessing in Thrikkakara this time is unusual. The intensity of the Left front's campaigning is extreme,” a source in the Left camp told Onmanorama.
Dropping hints of the LDF's election strategies, he said the ministers and MLAs are attending a number of neighbourhood meetings and engaged in door-to-door campaign, known as 'squad work' in poll parlance.
“These small gatherings are more helpful than they appear to be. Such meetings see a lot of discussions on hyper local issues. People also like to attend them because they get a chance to meet the leaders up and close,” the source said.
He said the local meet-ups are also the platforms where otherwise minor issues like certain statements made by leaders of the rival parties are amplified.
Recently, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran had to withdraw an offending remark made against his arch-rival Pinarayi Vijayan after it stirred a controversy.
It is the squad work by the Left leaders that disturbs the opposition United Democratic Front's camp.
“Yesterday Kanathil Jameela visited the households here. The other day M M Mani visited the house of my relative. Where are our MLAs? They are yet to come to the area,” a local Congress worker at Vennala fumed.
Both Jameela and Mani are CPM MLAs representing faraway Koyilandi and Udumbanchola constituencies respectively.
“These days we can't leave any house believing it to be a sure vote for us. When tall leaders from the rival camp go to the people directly, it can influence at least some,” the local Congress leader said.
A senior Congress leader from Thiruvananthapuram, who is camping at Thrikkakara, echoed the party worker's sentiments.
“We have no doubt about winning the election, but we have to go and meet all possible people. We can't sit idle when the LDF machinery is working in full swing,” the former Congress minister said.
Congress leader V D Satheesan had alleged that the LDF ministers and MLAs were seeking votes from their respective communities in what he termed a dangerous tendency. The LDF has rubbished the charge.
“I haven't come across any such instance. A leader can't ignore a house during his or her campaigning just because that family belongs to his or her community. The LDF local leadership usually prepares a list of voters whom a particular leader may influence. The leaders are assigned to seek votes from such groups. I have also been assigned to contact some people whose votes the party believe I maybe able to ensure, but that list is not on the basis of my religion or community,” the Left leader said.
The CPM aggression has forced the UDF also to deploy all of its tall leaders in the constituency. Leaders including former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy have been assigned to visit flats and do door-to-door campaign.
Open to all
Ever since the LDF's historic win in the 2021 assembly polls and the ensuing leadership change in the Congress, there has been a trend of the CPM wooing disgruntled Congress leaders into its fold rather generously. Since the start of the Thrikkakara campaign, two senior Congress leaders – former Union minister K V Thomas and District Congress Committee general secretary M B Muraleedharan – have reached the Left camp. The Left front source, whom Onmanorama spoke to, was however sceptical about the votes such leaders can swing in favour of the CPM. He, however, saw the accommodation of the disgruntled leaders as an attempt to cash in on the disturbances within the rival party.
A CPM leader told Onmanorama that the high-decibel campaign has infused a sense of confidence among the party cadre in Thrikkakara like never before.
“Some previous elections in constituencies in the Ernakulam district have seen a dull campaign by the CPM cadre after they sensed that their candidate was weak and unlikely to win. There are campaigns done for namesake and campaigns to win elections. What we see in Thrikkakara is the one to win,” he said.
