KOCHI: Kochi holds a very special place on the tourism map of Kerala. Kochi assembly constituency, which was Mattanchery till the 2011 delimitation, has a tradition of supporting UDF. However, in 2016, Kochi elected K J Maxi of CPM, which was indeed a jolt to the Congress.
However, as the campaign intensifies, the Congress is hopeful of recapturing the constituency from the CPM. While the CPM has fielded sitting MLA Maxi again, the Congress played it cleverly by opting for Tony Chammany, who was the former mayor of Kochi. Since 20 of the divisions in Kochi Corporation belong to the Kochi assembly segment, Chammany is a familiar figure among Kochiites and the array of measures taken by him during his stint as the mayor would be an advantage, believe UDF leaders.
Meanwhile, the LDF is hopeful of retaining the seat. “We are getting a good response during the campaign. The work of Maxi as the MLA and the welfare schemes carried out by the LDF government are the major reasons for our confidence. He will improve his vote tally this year and register a comprehensive victory,” said K M Riyad, CPM mandalam secretary.
In the 2016 elections, the margin of victory was 1,086 votes. There were some rumblings in the UDF camp over the candidature of Dominic Presentation in 2016. This year, there are no such issues in the Congress. Moreover, in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, Congress candidate in Ernakulam Hibi Eden secured 55 per cent of the total votes polled in Kochi assembly segment.
“The political atmosphere of Kochi is always favourable to the Congress. Moreover, while visiting the coastal areas like Chellanam and harbour, I can see that the fisher folks are very much apprehensive of the deep-sea trawling row,” said Chammany.
The BJP, meanwhile, has increased its vote share in West Kochi to 12 per cent in 2016 from the 5 per cent it received in the 2011 assembly polls. The NDA has fielded C G Rajagopal, fondly called Muthu, as its candidate. The campaign team of the NDA candidate said besides asking for votes, Rajagopal is trying to mingle more with the people, trying to learn about their issues.
Expressing solidarity with the people living in the coastal areas, Rajagopal staged a protest by entering the sea in Chellanam on Friday demanding a groyne (pulimuttu) in the area to prevent large-scale damage caused by sea attack. “If the NDA comes to power, I assure you that a pulimuttu will be built here,” he said. Twenty20 has fielded Shini Antony in the seat. “Though the left and right parties were given chances, the demands including the sea wall and pulimuttu are yet to be met,” said Charles Biju, president, Twenty 20, Chellanam.