Resentment in the Indian National Congress over the selection of party candidate, ire among the CPI(M) cadres against the decision of party leadership to field a political turncoat who was abusing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, party’ state secretary MV Govindan and other leaders and the intra party turf war between leaders in the BJP have made the November 20 by-poll for the Assembly constituency in Palakkadu a keenly contested fight.
The Palakkad Assembly seat fell vacant following the resignation of sitting member Shafi Parambil who was elected from the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 General Election. Parambil won the 2021 Assembly election by a whisker scraping past E Sreedharan, the Metro Man who was fielded by the BJP. While Parambil, who has been representing Palakkad Assembly constituency since 2011, polled 54,079 votes (38.06 per cent), Sreedharan, a first timer sprang a surprise by polling 50, 220 votes (35.34 per cent). The CPI(M) candidate was relegated to the third place, polling 36,433 votes (25.64 per cent). Parambil who had won the 2016 election with a majority of 17,483 votes, had to content with just 3,859 votes.
What is of interesting is that the Hindutva party’s vote percentage had shown gradual increase over the last three election.
In 2011, the BJP candidate polled 19.86 per cent while the 2016 election saw the Hindutva brigade’s share increasing to 29.08 per cent. Nothing surprising in the CPI(M) deciding to field P Sarin, who crossed over to the Marxist camp because the party high command denied him the candidature to contest the by-poll. Sarin, a medical doctor-turned-civil servant-turned Congressman was firmly of the view that he should have been given the party ticket from Palakkad and he alleges that Shafi Parambil “manipulated” the selection process of candidate.
The CPI(M) leadership’s decision to field Sarin, a suave and civilized face in the hustings has caused a lot of heart burning among the cadres. Then there is the corruption charges against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his daughter Veena Mohammed Riyaz, who is under robe by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in connection with charges of kick back linked to a black sand mining company.
The alleged suicide of Naveen Babu, additional district magistrate of Kannur because of the public humiliation meted out to him by the CPI(M) belle PP Divya has turned many fellow travelers against the party. If these votes are cast on the lotus symbol, the BJP is likely to make its presence felt in the Legislative Assembly. But fir that to happen, the Hindutva party has to show some semblance of unity and cohesion. “as on today, the BJP resembles a rudderless ship,” said P Sujathan, author and veteran editor of Kerala Kaumudi.
What has upset the Congress workers is the party leadership opting for Rahul Mamkoottathil hailing from Adoor in Southern Kerala as the candidate from Palakkad overlooking the interests of local talents. Moreover, Rahul using derogatory terms against Kalyanikutty Amma, spouse of late Congress leader K Karunakaran has antagonised party faithful for whom the latter was an obsession.
The Palakkad by-election is poised for a keen finish as the three main contenders viz the Congress, the CPI(M) and the BJP facing handicaps of similar nature. Every day brings in reports of Congress workers leaving the party to join the CPI(M) and vice versa.
