A town more used to constant bustle, Kottarakkara was slowly stirring back to its familiar rhythm as the morning rush hour loomed. At Pulamon Junction, the mood was visible. A row of white taxis were parked neatly along the roadside; their drivers gathered at a shopfront, warming up to a conversation in the shade, as the town readied for the day ahead.
“For some of us, this is how our whole days play out,” says Varghese Panicker, with 46 years of experience behind the wheel, repeatedly glancing at the adjacent KSRTC bus stand for passengers. “There’s been no real change here for five years,” added fellow driver R Vijayan. “The junction turns chaotic during peak hours. There was talk of a bypass, but nothing came of it.”
All around them, signs of the upcoming election were hard to miss. Nearby walls bore posters of minister and sitting MLA K N Balagopal of the CPM alongside those of Aisha Potty, a three-time CPM MLA who jumped ship and is now representing the Congress. The NDA has fielded R Resmi, who switched from the Congress to the BJP after her defeat in 2021.
Beyond, the mood eased. In semi-rural Kottarakkara, there was a quiet approval of the government’s welfare measures. In Cheerankavu, vegetable vendor Gayathri Devi spoke of pensions and pro-poor schemes, expressing confidence in a third term for the left front.
The road to Kollam, however, failed the capture the poll mood. Life went on, unhurried. By afternoon, Vaddy harbour lay still in the harsh sun. “It doesn’t matter who comes to power... nothing changes for us,” says fisherman Terrence Stephen, citing dwindling fish stocks and the impact of climate change. Yet, he acknowledges the government’s solatium for lost workdays due to adverse weather.
The political conversation thickened in Chinnakada Junction. “Development would accelerate only if the state and the Centre were politically aligned,” Antony Selvan, a shopkeeper, stresses. The contest in Kollam is keen. UDF’s Bindu Krishna, who narrowly lost to M Mukesh in 2021, is back against LDF’s S Jayamohan. The NDA has fielded cardiologist Dr N Prathap Kumar in a seat that has been a CPM stronghold for the past two decades.
The stretch to Chavara throws up heat and dust. The ongoing NH construction has blanketed the surroundings. At a roadside juice stall, owner Santhosh Kumar kept wiping bottles coated in grime. Despite being a left sympathiser, he feels a power shift might help the ruling front introspect and reconnect with people.
The home to the busy Neendakara harbour is set for a high-stakes contest. Former minister Shibu Baby John of the RSP is taking on sitting MLA and LDF-backed independent Sujith Vijayan Pillai, while the BJP has K R Rajesh in the running.
Further along, the approach to Chathannur tells a story of change. Junctions such as Kottiyam, Chathannur and Parippally, once bustling, feel weighed down by the elevated stretch of national highway. For small traders, the transformation has come at a cost. Salahudeen, who runs an eatery in Parippally, is considering a new means of livelihood. The NH and cooking gas shortage have hit business hard. He stopped short of sounding political, but hinted that the “winds of change” were blowing.
In Chathannur, BJP’s B B Gopakumar, a twice runner-up, is at it again. He is up against Congress’ Sooraj Ravi and CPI’s R Rajendran, with three-time MLA G S Jayalal stepping aside.