Kerala's Left set to face acid April test
Kerala’s Left government will face its first acid test on April 12. After CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s public declaration that the Malappuram Lok Sabha bypoll would be a referendum on the 10-month-old Pinarayi Vijayan government, people wondered why such a statement was made, given that a Left candidate did not stand a chance in the IUML stronghold. This, even as the Muslim League is betting big on its strongman P K Kunhalikutty winning with a record majority. The real challenge before the IUML is to better its own show and win by over two lakh votes. Clearly, the bypoll, necessitated by the death of former Union Minister E Ahamed, seems a one-horse race barring a miracle.
Many in the Left consider Kodiyeri’s remarks unwarranted as it could leave the government red-faced. Given the unrest within the Left, some even suspect a hidden agenda. A worried LDF has already begun the damage-control exercise and directed all senior hands including veteran V S Achuthanandan to focus on Malappuram. All this hasn’t stopped them from being practical and alleging a resurgence of the decades-old ‘Co-Le-B (Congress-League-BJP) alliance’. The UDF camp, for a change, is brimming with confidence. The one worry though is whether Kunhalikutty moving away from Kerala politics would prove costly for the UDF.
Curiously, the bypoll could even pave the way for Kerala Congress (M) supremo K M Mani’s return to the UDF fold. Responding to an IUML request, Mani has offered open support to the UDF candidate. Taking the cue, Congress leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala have urged Mani to come back to the UDF fold.The other party that seems worried, though not as much as the LDF, is the BJP as the State leadership would be under some pressure to do well, given the backdrop of the party’s landslide victory in UP. For the Goliath that the Muslim League is, there is no David ready for a showdown either in the CPM or the BJP.