KOCHI: In Vyttila, politics has made way for a surprise contest this election season. Two men who once sparred across the Kochi corporation council floor are back in the ring — on different teams this time. V P Chandran, once a CPM strongman, is the UDF candidate. A B Sabu, a former KPCC big hitter and leader of opposition, is waving the LDF flag. And the voters of Vyttila, newly carved out after the 2025 delimitation exercise, are watching the spectacle play out with a mix of curiosity and confusion.
Strolling through Thykoodam junction, stationery vendor Jayprakash sums up the local mood with a grin. “Politics is a circus here. Chandran was the red man, Sabu was the Congressman — now they’ve crossed paths and switched sides. Only in local-body elections do you see ideology bend like this.”
Vyttila, created by merging the old Vyttila (49) and Chambakkara divisions, has traditionally been a favourable terrain for the LDF. Names like C K Manisankar, K K Shivan and Narayanan Ashan still echo in local conversations. But this time, the contest is tighter — not just because of new boundaries, but also the unusual line-up. Both Chandran and Sabu are political heavyweights. Chandran, who once represented the Chambakkara division, served as LDF parliamentary party secretary in the 2015–20 council.
Sabu was a towering Congress presence, elected three times from Poonithura and heading the welfare standing committee before quitting the party in 2021. Both men now claim the development plank — and the legacy of their past work — as their biggest strength.
But, residents say their voting decision this time is rooted less in party symbolism and more in what the division needs. “The Vyttila Mobility Hub is finally moving forward. Outgoing councillor Sunitha Dixon remained active and accessible,” says Francis, who stops mid-walk to share his views. “Chandran has experience in this area because Chambakkara is now part of Vyttila. Sabu is a big leader, no doubt, but his work was mostly in Poonithura. So people are trying to decide who fits the division better.”
The delimitation — merging, renaming and redrawing of boundaries — has added another layer of confusion. “Many voters are still figuring out which candidate now represents their street,” says Jayprakash. “Add to that the switching of parties... it’s not easy to make sense. And both have very few posters. It’s a silent campaign.”
Despite the uncertainty, both candidates are upbeat. “I was inactive for a year, but I continued working among the people. They know me,” Chandran says confidently. Sabu, meanwhile, banks on his long public record: “As opposition leader and public works standing committee chairman, I worked for the whole corporation. That experience matters.”
As voting day nears, Vyttila finds itself caught between two familiar faces in unfamiliar corners — a contest rich in history, riddled with irony, and powered by a quietly watchful electorate.