The Congress in Kerala sprang a surprise on Tuesday by announcing that Uma Thomas, the widow of P T Thomas who had represented the Thrikkakkara assembly constituency would be the party’s candidate for the May 31 bye-election. The Election Commission of India had announced last Friday that the bye-poll necessitated by the demise of P T Thomas would be held on May 31 and the result would be announced on June 3.
The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee which met at Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday unanimously decided to field Uma Thomas as the candidate for the election. "There was only one name in the panel and that was of Uma Thomas. The leadership unanimously decided to forward the name to the Congress High Command," said K Sudhakaran, MP and KPCC chief.
V D Satheeshan, Leader of the Opposition, said that the Congress would romp home easily because of a number of reasons. "Uma Thomas belongs to this constituency and she is known by all the votres here. P T Thomas was held in high respect by the electorate because of his accessibility and simplicity. The voters see in Uma the same qualities that had made Thomas dear to them," said Satheesh.
Thrikkakkara constituency which was formed in 2011 has been a stronghold of the Congress. The 2011 assembly election saw Benny Behannan winning the seat easily. Thomas won the seat in 2016 and 2021 with a good majority.
Mohammed Shiyaz, the DCC chief, told The Pioneer that this was the first time the Congress declared the name of a party candidate earlier than other parties. "There is no doubt about the victory of Uma Thomas, herself a KSU and Congress activist from her student days," said Shiyaz.
The ruling CPI(M) is leaving no stones unturned to wrest the seat from the Congress. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) state chief Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, both undergoing medical treatment in United States of America, issued a directive to party leaders to ensure the victory of the party in the bye-election so that the Left Democratic Front would touch the three-figure mark of 100. The LDF has a total strength of 99 in the House. By wresting the Thrikkakkara seat, the Front would reach the magic figure of 100 in the House which has an effective strength of 140," said P Rajeev, minister for Industries and Law.
E P Jayarajan, the convenor of the LDF has been appointed as the coordinator for the Thrikkakkara bye-poll. "We are inviting the people of the constituency to join as in this march to development and progress," said Jayarajan. He pointed out that Thrikkakkara is one of the 11 stations in the proposed K-Rail (Silver Line Semi high Speed Rail) connecting Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod.
The CPI(M) is likely to announce the name of the party candidate in the next couple of days. Sabu Thomas, founder of the 20-Twenty party said that his outfit would forge an alliance with AAP and field a joint candidate. The BJP, though not a relevant force in the constituency too, would have its candidate, said A N Radhakrishnan, a state level leader of the party who has expressed his desire to enter the arena.