Small wallet, loud voice

Kochi: As towering cutouts and flashy, big-budget posters flood Kerala's streets this election season, 26-year-old Ashna Thampi, a candidate in Ettumanoor, is drawing attention for an altogether different reason, her election affidavit declares total assets of just Rs 84. With no land, income, gold, or vehicle to her name, the SUCI candidate is running a crowd-funded campaign focused on issues rather than money power.

A native of Ernakulam and a postgraduate in journalism, Ashna is a full-time activist of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist), having been involved in several party-led agitations, including protests against the K-Rail project and campaigns highlighting the struggles of ASHA workers.




Born to daily wage labourers who are also associated with the party, Ashna says public issues have shaped her life from the beginning. "I don't have any property, vehicle, or gold to my name. On the day I filed my nomination, I had Rs 40 in hand and Rs 44 in my bank account, both mentioned accurately in the affidavit," she said.

Her campaign is being funded through small contributions from friends, party workers and supporters, with donations picking up after she filed her nomination papers. She acknowledges the challenge of contesting against candidates backed by major parties and their considerable financial muscle. "A lot of money is being spent by other candidates, but what a person stands for matters far more than what they spend," she said.

The key issues she is raising in Ettumanoor include a shortage of doctors and nurses at Kottayam Medical College, the plight of paddy farmers whose produce goes unpurchased by local mills and drinking water scarcity in several areas. "Patients from Idukki and Pathanamthitta arrive a day early because of the doctor shortage. Farmers need govt-level intervention to ensure their paddy is procured," she said.

Ashna estimates she needs at least Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 to campaign across the constituency, primarily for transport and basic materials, a fraction of the election commission's Rs 40 lakh spending limit for assembly elections. She also cast doubt on whether major candidates actually stay within that ceiling. "After seeing some of the campaign equipment deployed by larger parties, I suspect actual ground-level spending far exceeds the prescribed limit," she said.