THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chavara, with its distinctive radioactive black sand deposits and deep-rooted coastal traditions, is more than just another electoral battleground: it is a stage where legacies collide and ideologies are tested. As the election cycle unfolds, the atmosphere is charged with anticipation as two sons of the soil, both heirs to towering leaders, prepare to face off in a contest shaped as much by heritage as by policy.
While accusations of dynastic politics and “parachute” candidates dominate the broader state discourse, these contenders have already proven themselves in the crucible of electoral battles. On one side stands Shibu Baby John of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), a veteran politician and former minister.
He carries the mantle of his father, the late Baby John, a colossus of the trade union movement and a long-time representative of Chavara. For Shibu, this election is an attempt to reclaim a stronghold that was once inseparable from his family’s name.
On the other side is the incumbent, Dr Sujith Vijayanpillai of the LDF, a medical professional-turned-politician who entered the fray after the passing of his father, N Vijayan Pillai -- the “giant killer” who defeated Shibu in 2016. Sujith will seek to consolidate the shift in power initiated by his father, relying on his personal credibility and the goodwill generated by his developmental work.
The growing influence of the NDA, particularly in industrial areas and among younger voters, adds another unpredictable element to the contest. In 2021, Sujith, contesting as an independent backed by the LDF, defeated Shibu by just 1,096 votes, polling 63,282 votes (44.29%) against Shibu’s 62,186 (43.52%). The BJP’s Vivek Gopan secured over 14,000 votes (nearly 10%), enough to play spoiler in a tight race. This razor-thin margin highlights the constituency’s knife-edge dynamics.
The UDF camp is confident that Shibu will stage a comeback, citing anti-incumbency and the lack of major developmental projects under LDF rule.
As C P Sudheesh Kumar, state committee member of the RSP and a probable candidate for the party in the district, put it: “There has been no major developmental work worth mentioning in the constituency during the LDF rule. Be it construction academy or maritime institute, all of it were started during Shibu’s tenure. It is a widely known fact that the incumbent MLA cannot take an independent decision as he is controlled by the CPM.”
He added that the UDF has field-level workers in all 180 booths and that reports from the ground favour the UDF, riding on the anti-incumbency factor. In Chavara, communal equations play a decisive role, with the shifting loyalties of minority communities and the fragmentation of traditional caste votes emerging as increasingly crucial factors in recent elections.
Chavara falls under the Kollam parliamentary constituency, where RSP’s N K Premachandran scored a landslide win in 2024, defeating CPM’s M Mukesh by over 1.5 lakh votes. That verdict has emboldened the UDF camp in Chavara, which sees the Lok Sabha momentum as a springboard for 2026. The recent local body elections have further cemented this conviction.
However, the LDF has not taken the local body results seriously in their calculations for the assembly fray. As Sujith explained: “Chavara usually goes with UDF in local body elections. But when it comes to assembly voters side with LDF. The single most reason for a win is the work which includes both welfare and infrastructure development, done by the LDF government.” He remains hopeful that his work as MLA will fetch him winning margins.