THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state has turned its back on the sweeping trend that has gripped the national political scene, which has perched NDA atop the political ladder to lead the country.
It is clear from the verdict that the electorate has settled for choices on the basis of both regional and national factors. While, it is clear that there was popular disdain towards the UPA Government’s policies in the state, the Oommen Chandy government’s performance was also altered, as it was pegged as a campaign plank, going by the results.
Contrary to expectations, there was no serious consolidation of Muslim votes, which is the single largest vote pool among the state electorate, in favour of a particular candidate or front this time, despite the fierce anti-Modi campaign by opponents.
Though, history was set to be made while BJP’s O Rajagopal kept racing ahead in T’Puram, the tide eventually turned in favour of Shashi Tharoor. The entire results in the state would have been eclipsed had he won, even by a wafer-thin margin.
The LDF strategy of fielding seven candidates from the Christian community didn’t pay off as expected. CPM politburo member and sitting MLA M A Baby has faced an ignominious defeat in the hands of his former coalition mate N K Premachandran of the RSP in Kollam. The political message is clear from the reverses the CPM have received in Kollam and Vadakara, where the TP murder case was a keen factor.
The experiment of roping in Independents as LDF candidates found desirable results only in two segments-Chalakkudy and Idukki, while it flopped in T’Puram and Pathanamthitta. P C Chacko, who has earned the rare distinction of being a ‘migratory bird’ in Kerala politics by changing constituencies in every election, tasted defeat handed out by a poll novice like Innocent.
Those who have been viewed as performers like Jose K Mani (KC-M), M K Raghavan (INC-Kozhikode), M B Rajesh (Palakkad), A Sampath (Attingal) had a cakewalk this time.
Alathur MP P K Biju also clinched a remarkable victory. Except P Karunakaran (Kasargod), all the other three sitting MP’s of the CPM have improved their margin considerably. The Aranmula airport issue- rocked Pathanamthitta segment’s verdict retaining Anto Antony as its representative may be a turning point itself on the issue.
Heavyweights like M P Veerendra Kumar would find it hard to digest the fact that the young M B Rajesh, who had scrapped through in the 2009 polls with a meagre 1,800 margin, has floored him now by more than one lakh votes.
The K-factor,which had shaken the High Ranges, continued to cast its spell politically also, with YC state president Dean Kuriakose falling by the wayside. The Church-backed High Range Samrakahsna Samithi’s nominee Joice George, anointed as the LDF-backed Independent, has sprung a surprise which will go a long way in determining experiments of the ilk in future also.