KOTHAMANGALAM: At the eastern end of Ernakulam district, Kothamangalam assembly constituency is gearing for another battle between LDF’s Antony John and UDF’s Shibu Thekkumpuram. While Antony is a two-time MLA, a change in the political scenario after the local body elections held in December has livened up the contest, according to voters.
For college student Aleesha, the MLA needs to focus on development projects. “Roads leading to villages and small pockets in the area remain miserable. There are many students and daily wage workers who depend on these routes, and the poor maintenance leads to accidents.
Also, water supply to households remains affected as pumping happens only twice a week. Even the local bodies in the area are lagging behind in development projects, including waste management,” she said, adding that UDF could be given an opportunity to show what the front can do.
Antony, of the CPM, was first elected to the assembly in 2016 after defeating former minister for public works, T U Kuruvilla. In 2021, he defeated Shibu by 6,605 votes. The constituency includes Kothamangalam municipality and the Kavalangad, Keerampara, Kottappady, Kuttampuzha, Nellikuzhi, Pallarimangalam, Pindimana and Varappetty panchayats.
Meanwhile, CPM supporters are anticipating a third term for Antony. “In the previous election, too, the UDF claimed they would win. However, Antony won. In the past 10 years, he has brought in several development projects including a public crematorium, renovation of PWD roads and construction of bridges. The voters are aware of that,” said a local CPM worker.
Candidate’s familiarity with voters is one factor that could help the UDF turn the tables this time. “Shibu is a person familiar to all of us. He knows the constituency well. After 2016, his activities as a social worker have also been a topic of discussion in Kothamangalam,” said Basheer, a vendor. He said Antony too is an acceptable leader.
“We don’t have any negative opinion about the current MLA. But we don’t know how the political situation here will pan out. The UDF came to power in the local bodies, including in Kothamangalam municipality, which was earlier ruled by the LDF,” Basheer, a resident of Nellikuzhi, added. In the 2021 election, the presence of the T20 candidate had been a deciding factor, with Dr Joe Joseph polling 7,978 votes. This time, the NDA has fielded Bharath Dharma Jana Sena’s Aji Narayanan in the constituency.
Human-animal conflict and farmers’ struggles remain major issues in the eastern part of Kothamangalam. “In areas like Kuttampuzha, Kottappady, Vettilapara and Neriyamangalam, wildlife attack is a huge problem. With agricultural produce getting destroyed, farmers face huge financial losses,” added Aleesha.