Fixing an upper age limit for retirement from electoral politics is as complex as trying to fathom the vagaries of weather. Age is just a number is the adage that is popularly perceived as the axiom to settle such political polemics, and rightly so. Hence, choosing the final combat becomes an epochal decision. Some bow out gracefully, most others are edged out of the fray, many flare up and fade away, while a few others- the warhorses who transcend time- play a long innings and live the electoral dream.
Kerala’s electoral politics will witness a gaping vacuum this election. Veteran politician K R Gowri, one of the oldest political leaders in the country - who had contested all elections since Kerala’s formation - is keeping away from the fray for the first time, thereby leaving behind a long legacy. The only individual, who was part of the first Communist Government in Kerala, Gowri needs no introduction to parliamentary democracy. Of the 14 times she contested to the Kerala Assembly, she lost only thrice. Contesting as a Left candidate since 1957, she lost twice in Aroor and once in Cherthala. she parted ways with CPM and floated the Janathipathiya Samrakshana Samithy (JSS).
Getting elected at the age of 25 is no mean thing. He held the record for being the youngest MLA till recently. In a political career spanning seven decades, R Balakrishna Pillai had made his indelible mark on local, state and national politics. Having lost from his home turf in 2006 and later jailed in the Idamalayar case after an 18-year-long legal battle, the veteran Kerala Congress leader is slowly moving away from electoral politics. “I started public speaking as part of my political work at the age of 12. My first contest for the Assembly was at the age of 25 from Pathanapuram in 1960. Since ill-health has been posing a major problem, this time I decided to stay away,” Pillai told ‘Express’.
He ended his love affair with the state Assembly a year before he turned 40. Though it started in 1977, he took a 10-day break in 1980 as his colleague had won the seat. However, power politics catapulted Arydan Muhammed into the Cabinet and thus C Haridas, the elected candidate, scripted a rare record of being the member with the shortest term in the Assembly. A member of the Indian National Congress from 1952, he was one of the commanders of the ‘A’ group and drew strength from the attacks against K Karunakaran. Aryadan was one of the first to fire guns at the veteran leader’s attempt to bring his son into politics.
He was the oldest among the ‘ freshers’ in the 13th Assembly. However, he secured a berth in the Cabinet in his first term itself as his seniority in the party carried considerable heft. Sweeping allegations were made against him for his role in the violent group war in Thrissur district. He himself took the decision to keep away from contesting the Assembly polls this time. He was an active participant of the 45-day padayathra in the state in connection with the “Bhoodan Movement” led by Acharya Vinobhajee.He won his only electoral battle in 2011 from Wadakkancherry constituency of Thrissur district, wresting the seat from CPM by routing N R Balan by 6,685 votes.
Chasing an Enigma O Rajagopal, 86
Electoral victory remains an enigma for Rajettan who lost many a battles between the cup and the lip. Veteran BJP leader O Rajagopal ,86, despite his impeccable credibility has been betrayed by the ballot. In spite of the defeats in nine contests to the Lok Sabha and Assembly, he has not lost all hope yet. He had the fortune to be a member of the Rajya Sabha for two terms from 1992 to 2004 from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh respectively. During his tenure as Union Minister of State for Railways and Urban Affairs, he
contributed immensely to the development of the railway sector in the state. Rajagopal had served as BJP’s first state president. This year he is in the fray again slugging it out to break the curse.
No Seventh Heaven Therambil Ramakrishnan, 75
A period of 30 years is not a long innings when compared to many others in the field.But for Therambil Ramakrishnan, who is set to take a break from electoral politics after completing the sixth term from Thrissur, it is a remarkable feat considering the fact that the political heavyweight from the cultural capital entered the Assembly as a Member of NDP in 1982.