Kerala assembly elections: Already in campaign mode, Cong leader denied ticket in Ettumanoor

Kottayam: The indefinite delay in the finalizing of Congress candidates for the assembly elections has not only left some heartbroken but also drained their resources. And for some, it has become a classic case of counting your chickens before they hatch.Senior Congress leader Joseph Vazhakkan, who was expecting to take on minister V N Vasavan in Ettumanoor, had begun all arrangements to start a full-fledged campaign as soon as the candidate list was released by the party leadership. Vazhakkan had no doubts about his candidature and had given orders for printing posters, banners, flex boards and other campaign materials in a press in Kottayam. However, when the final list came, Vazhakkan's name was missing. By then, almost one lakh posters, over one lakh leaflets and 1,500 flex boards were already printed. Apart from this, flags and banners were also kept ready. Speaking to TOI, Vazhakkan said that he has incurred a heavy financial loss, which will run to over Rs 15 lakh. Arrangements were also made to conduct a roadshow as soon as he was declared a candidate. "There was only one name for Ettumanoor seat, and my candidature was almost confirmed. Since there was very little time for campaign, I made advance preparations for campaign," he said. When asked about failing to secure a ticket, Vazhakkan said that he knows what had happened but will not reveal it at this juncture. Vazhakkan added that he will not keep away from the campaign just because he was denied a seat. "Congress is like my mother. I will work for UDF like a good party worker," he said. In the meantime, the campaign materials gather dust at the printing press.