THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the assembly election just two days away, the Congress workers in Chelakkara are bent on wresting the CPM strong bastion this time around. Their confidence level is high this time as they have ensured close to 10,000 new voters in the electoral roll.
The workers believe that the election campaign led by KPCC Vice President VP Sajeendran and General Secretary PM Niyas has been unparalleled.
Even when a section of the state leadership suspects possible cross-voting in favour of both the CPM and BJP candidates in Chelakkara, local leaders have high hopes of Ramya Haridas wresting the seat from the CPM.
This is the first time Ramya is contesting in the Assembly election.
Since 1996, the reservation seat of Chelakkara is considered a strong forte of the CPM. K Radhakrishnan represented Chelakkara for a record four terms in a row since 1996 and once more in 2021 until he was deputed to Alathur Lok Sabha in the recent outing.
There are reports that a section in the CPM has been unhappy that Radhakrishnan has not been active in campaigning in Chelakkara. This has however sent cheer among the local Congress workers. Initially, Ramya’s approach to voters was a matter of concern for the local party workers. However the leadership was able to address it.
Sajeendran and Niyas, who have been camping in Chelakkara for the last four months, claimed that they had sealed all loopholes.
“We have ensured that the anti-incumbency factor, which is strong here, will come in favour of Ramya. She is not facing any challenges here as this is the first time the Congress has put up systematic work in Chelakkara. We are confident that cross-voting will not happen. We have added close to 10,000 new voters in the voters list which will see Ramya winning with a good margin”, Sajeendran told TNIE.
If the CPM and BJP have raised Munambam-Waqf land dispute in the neighbouring Palakkad Assembly by-election seat, the issue has not been part of campaign in Chelakkara.