THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The day after polling brought a huge relief to the candidates who had spent weeks on the road. Friday, for many, began without the usual rush. There were no early morning rounds. Instead, some chose to sleep in while others sat with close aides, trying to make sense of how the votes may have been cast.
Yet, the calm was only partial. Across parties, review discussions have already begun. Many leaders stayed on the phone from early morning, gathering feedback from booth-level workers. Some visited election committee offices while others planned detailed reviews over the weekend.
For LDF’s Parassala candidate C K Hareendran, the day started early despite the lull. He attended a memorial programme at Marayamuttom at 8.30 am. “It feels different after weeks of continuous travel. The rest of the day was spent attending funerals and briefly returning home for lunch, something I had missed during the campaign,” said C K Hareendran. By evening, he was back in Vellarada at the election committee office for discussions on possible outcomes before finally calling it a day.
At the UDF camp, district-level coordination kept leaders busy. N Shakthan and K S Sabarinathan said discussions continued over the phone through the day with a detailed review scheduled later. “There is no real break when you are handling the district. Inputs keep coming in,” said N Shaktan, adding that he also attended local engagements including a gathering at Venpakal temple. Sabarinathan was in discussions and falling back into routine.
For Kadakampally Surendran, the day was filled with TV channel discussions. Later, he attended weddings and funerals at the constituency and began easing back into routine life. “We already discussed key trends on polling day. A detailed review will happen on Sunday,”Kadakampally said.
Not everyone chose to stay connected. Chenkal Rajasekharan, BJP candidate from Neyyattinkara, switched off completely. Battling health issues after an intense campaign, he decided to rest at his home. “It has been non-stop work. I am taking two days off to recover,” said Rajasekharan.
Meanwhile, BJP candidate in Parassala, Girish Nair Neyyar, attended review meetings on Friday itself. He also spent time managing his institution and addressing local matters. “Work does not stop with polling,” said Gireesh.
D K Murali, LDF candidate in Vamanapuram, split his day between party work and personal visits. After a morning at the election office, he visited a patient in hospital and attended a few funerals. “I finally had lunch from home after many days,” he said.
Review talks begin
Review discussions have already begun across parties
Many leaders gathered feedback from booth-level workers
Some visited election committee offices while others planned detailed reviews over the weekend