KOCHI: With local body elections just a couple of months away, the political landscape in Kerala is heating up. In the affluent Maradu municipality, though, the usual battle of ideologies has taken a more personal and theatrical turn, with the Congress-led administration and the Opposition clashing over a very public display of “self-praise”.
As one travels through the busy Kundannoor junction, a banner showing Maradu municipality chairperson Antony Ashanparambil receiving the “award for the best chairman” greets you.
And right beside the intersection under the flyover, the CPI local committee has placed a poster, making fun of chairperson’s ‘award’ image. The Opposition said development has come to a standstill in the municipality even as the chairperson is trying to create a positive image through publicity stunts and posters.
Opposition leader C R Shanavas alleged that a big campaign was on to claim falsely that Ashanparambil won the ‘best chairman’ award. “This is utterly misleading,” Shanavas said. “A media house held a private function in which it honoured nearly 15 dignitaries.
The chairperson was present at the conclave and he too was honoured. But now the Congress has kicked off a big campaign claiming that Antony Ashanparambil has won the best chairperson award.”
There was no selection made or competition conducted for the purpose, Shanavas stressed.
“No other municipal chairperson, of Tripunithura or Aluva, was present at the function. No development merits were discussed or compared with other municipalities.
This citation was just given to the prominent personalities present there, and nothing else. But they are trying to mislead the people by rolling out flex boards all along the road. They even advertised the matter on the LED display boards of a prominent hotel here,” the CPI leader lashed out.
Incidentally, the ‘award’ was handed over by Minister for Food and Civil Supplies G R Anil, a CPI leader.
“We’ve done no wrong by highlighting the achievement — winning the award of excellence. What has incensed them is that a Left minister has presented the trophy to a Congress leader. That’s rare. Now they want to defend the action, and hence the tirade,” Ashanparambil said.
The CPI Maradu local committee members said they put up the banner to “expose the false claim to fame”. And to catch the attention of passers-by, it borrowed a most memorable and charming pun-filled line delivered by actor Sankaradi in the Malayalam classic ‘Sandesham’ — “Lesham uluppu...”.
The political bickering in the municipality extends beyond posters. The Opposition alleged that the chairperson is prioritising image-building over tangible progress, pointing to stalled projects and a lack of new initiatives. But Ashanparambil is quick to reject the criticism.
“For the first time, a party’s tenure is going to be completed without a major charge. That itself shows our achievement. We rolled out numerous projects that have benefited the common man,” he said.