PALAKKAD: The victory of UDF candidate Ramya Haridas by a mammoth margin of 1.58 lakh votes has virtually stunned the LDF camp which had brushed away her songs during campaigning, saying the Lok Sabha election was not a youth festival. In spite of entering the fray late, she had made her presence felt in every possible manner by making herself endearing to womenfolk. Entering households and hugging them, she projected herself as the girl next door. The support of the women electorate reflected in the results.
As she stepped on the soil of Palakkad to become the candidate in the Alathur Lok Sabha constituency, her first comment was she was here “Not to be a part-time MP, but a full-time MP.” This statement was made at a time when P K Biju, the two-time MP, was finding it difficult to ward off the charges of absenteeism made by his political opponents.
But when asked to elaborate on her statement, she diplomatically said like a seasoned politician, “See, I am from Kozhikode and people will have doubts whether I will stay in the constituency. And that is why I said I will be a full-time MP.” Similarly, when Biju tried to evoke the sympathy factor citing his poor background, Remya also countered it saying she was staying in a house allotted under the Indira Awaz Yojana. Her folk songs on stage were an instant hit among the rural population who clapped and cheered her throughout. She was ably assisted by Shafi Parambil MLA, Anil Akkara MLA and former MLA A V Gopinath.
Ramya managed to make rapid strides in the three Assembly constituencies of Thrissur district. While the UDF candidate secured 59,729 votes in Wadakkancherry in 2014, Remya secured 79,028 votes.