Evenly matched fronts ensure a nail-biting finish in Palakkad

Palakkad: Palakkad has supported both UDF and the LDF in the past, but with the emergence of NDA as a formidable opponent here, neither fronts can claim an upper hand this time.

If the state and national-level leaderships of the BJP are desperate to open an account in Kerala assembly, Palakkad had all the hallmarks of an ideal seat where the party is ruling a municipality on its own in the state for the first time.

For NDA’s campaign managers, Palakkad is at the top of their list for its ‘win possibility’. That is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched his election campaign in the state from Palakkad on May 6, they said.

Interestingly, all the main rivals – MLA and UDF candidate Shafi Parambil, LDF’s three-time former MP N N Krishnadas and NDA’s Sobha Surendran are popular in the constituency with grassroots level connections. It gives the electorate a tough choice - to reject two of them and elect one. This time ground is set for a real political fight based on ideological and development issues at the local, state and national level.

However, the recent poll history of Palakkad makes predictions irrelevant. In 2011, Shafi captured the seat from the LDF by defeating K K Divakaran with a margin of 7,403 votes. The BJP candidate C Uday abhaskar could garner 22,317 votes, which the BJP has raised to 25,892 in the 2014 parliament election.

Meanwhile, the LDF candidate M B Rajesh had a majority of 8,169 votes against the UDF candidate in the LS polls. But in the local body elections that followed, the BJP captured the municipality. The UDF came second and the LDF was pushed to a far third with just nine seats of the total 50. However, the LDF came to power in the Kannadi and Mathur grama panchayats and the UDF won Pirayiri.

Shafi said he is seeking mandate for a second-term on the basis of the development projects he has brought to the constituency like medical college, civil services academy, bypass roads, etc. “I think Shafi should be given another chance to complete the development projects he has initiated, said Jisha Krishnadas, an assistant professor at a government in Palakkad.

But another youth, K Gopalakrishnan, a management professional, felt that a seasoned politician like NN Krishnadas will be more effective in taking up the issues faced by a backward district like Palakkad. Krishnadas has come out with a long list of “affidavit and not promises”, which he says is for the development of Palakkad.

Meanwhile, a section of women who are not political activists stressed the need to elect Sobha as there are only a few women candidates in the fray across the state. Sobha is also leaving no stone unturned by attacking both the fronts in her hard hitting speeches and reminds the voters about the promises given by Modi at her election rally.

The votes of Urdu, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada speaking communities in certain pockets and the Tamil Brahmins settled in 18 agraharams in Palakkad town will be crucial in a close contest.