THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘Nee Kattakkada evide ulle?’— a dialogue that rules the internet these days has also made the place in it popular. But beyond the trends and reels, the Kattakkada assembly constituency is slowly getting traction of the election heat even before the candidate picture is clear.
The battle is going to be between familiar faces, and the commoners are expecting to see a solid competition here. While the CPM is set to field sitting MLA I B Satheesh and BJP P K Krishnadas, the Congress is yet to announce its candidate, though M R Baiju is speculated to be the frontrunner.
Infrastructural development, especially in terms of school buildings, is something that even the opposition parties approve of, about the two-time sitting MLA I B Satheesh. In an attempt to tap into the advantage of early candidate announcements, posters and wall writings of Satheesh have already taken up key spaces along the roads of the constituency.
Though he is a native of the constituency, according to local people he is not an active presence in the region. “(Satheesh) is an okay MLA, but is not often seen here,” said Sreedharan, a shop owner.
The delay in candidate announcement has not really affected the public opinion about Congress or UDF, as many consider the primary competition here is between LDF and UDF. According to sources, former Vellanad block panchayat member M R Baiju is most likely to be the Congress candidate.
While the key to unlocking the election battle in Kattakkada is to address the Nair and Nadar communities, the party believes that Baiju can pool more CSI votes into his account. “Baiju has a positive image beyond the party. He is an active presence, in all types of events here,” said Anilkumar, who runs a provision shop.
Meanwhile, the BJP hopes to bank on the anti-incumbency factor, both towards the government and the sitting MLA. P K Krishnadas, the party’s senior leader who is seeking people’s verdict from the constituency for the fourth consecutive time, is also enjoying the advantage of early announcement.
Along with the election posters, the campaign material of ‘Hindu Ekata Sammelanam’ by the party’s parent organisation, RSS are also seen throughout Kattakkada. A key area of RSS, the party also counts on hopes that the programme will benefit them in the ballot.