KOCHI: Located on the outskirts of Kochi, Kunnathunad integrates the hustle and bustle of city life and the tranquility and serenity of village life. The only SC-reserved constituency in the district, it has grabbed the spotlight as it is witnessing a truly intense triangular battle this assembly election.
The Twenty20 — which stunned the binary, revolving-door politics of the LDF and the UDF in 2015 by securing control of Kizhakkambalam panchayat — has ended its decade-long lone-soldier battle and joined the NDA. While the Twenty20 hopes to win the constituency with the support of the 7,000-odd BJP votes, the UDF is confident of regaining the constituency it lost to CPM’s P V Sreenijin in 2021. The LDF, meanwhile, remains upbeat as it is banking on the development initiative launched by the government.
Ahead of the polls, V P Sajeendran, who represented the constituency in 2011 and 2016, seems to have an advantage as the goodwill he created during his previous terms may work in his favour. According to UDF leaders, he is accessible and down to earth. Besides, the UDF has displayed a rare unity with the workers striving hard to ensure the return of Sajeendran. There is no in-fighting and the Congress machinery has been vibrant at the grass-root level, party leaders said.
Sreenijin is confident that the development projects implemented during the past five years will stand him in good stead. The Kadambrayar tourism project, development of the four-lane Thankalam-Kakkanad Road, and the Sustainability Leadership and Agency Through Education project implemented in 21 schools are important projects brought by him.
However, the absence of star campaigners has affected the morale of party workers. Though the chief minister campaigned for candidates in five constituencies in the district, he did not visit Kunnathunad. But senior CPM leader Brinda Karat campaigned for Sreenijin at a rally in Thiruvaniyoor.
NDA candidate Babu Divakaran has impressed the voters with his simplicity, having joined the Twenty20 after the Congress denied him a ticket.
Twenty20 chairman Sabu M Jacob has announced that the party will implement projects worth Rs 5,000 crore in the constituency if Babu gets elected. The election will be a litmus test for the party as it will prove the response of the minority community members of the party, who are reportedly upset over the decision to join the NDA.