KOCHI: In the past 34 years, Left candidates were elected to the assembly from Piravom only twice. The first was in 1987 when Gopi Kottamurikkal of the CPM won with a margin of 16,480 votes. The UDF suffered a big defeat mainly due to the presence of C Poulose who contested as an independent and bagged 24,840 votes. In 2006, T M Jacob tasted defeat at the hands of CPM’s M J Jacob. However, Piravom remains as one of the UDF strongholds.
This year, the equations have changed anyhow. The LDF allotted the seat to its new ally, Kerala Congress (M). Though the decision to field Sindhumol Jacob, the CPM’s block panchayat member from Uzhavoor, initially created the “payment seat” allegation, the Left front succeeded in overcoming it. Now, the contest is evenly poised, feels the LDF camp.
For the UDF, it is pinning its hopes again on the popularity of Anoop Jacob, the son of late Kerala Congress (J) leader T M Jacob. The UDF leaders’ strong belief is justified if the history of the constituency is analysed. People in the constituency had elected T M Jacob five times and following his demise, Piravom has stood strongly with his son.
Now with Anoop Jacob seeking a hat-trick of victories from Piravom, the UDF is expecting to gain further from the dissatisfaction among a group of CPM workers over the allotment of the seat to the KC(M).
Political experts think that the BJP votes are likely to play a key factor in Piravom. Taking back the seat from BDJS, BJP has fielded its own candidate. A two-time panchayat member, Ashish M is a familiar face.
“We cannot ignore the growth of NDA in the previous elections. In 2011, BJP candidate M N Madhu got only 4,234 votes. However, in 2016, BDJS candidate C P Sathyan got 17,503 votes.
In the 2019 general elections, NDA’s P C Thomas got 26,533 votes from the Piravom segment, which comes under the Kottayam Lok Sabha constituency. BJP is hopeful of increasing its vote share further this year,” said a BJP worker.
The feud between the Jacobite and Orthodox factions of the Malankara Church is a decisive factor in Piravom. Both LDF and UDF candidates are Jacobites. The Orthodox faction’s decision will be crucial in the final results.