THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Winning the Kattakada assembly constituency is a prestige issue for all the three fronts. In 2016, LDF’s I B Satheesh wrested the seat from senior Congress leader and former speaker N Sakthan denying him a hat-trick. This time Satheesh is seeking a second term and the UDF has fielded KPCC executive member Malayinkeezhu Venugopal. The NDA hopes for an upset win through senior leader P K Krishnadas who is contesting for the third consecutive time.
Venugopal is quite a familiar face in the constituency thanks to his previous stint as a member of the district panchayat. Party workers have rallied behind him unmindful of factionalism. One of the biggest promises of the UDF candidate is to find a solution to drinking water shortages. “The sitting MLA did little to solve this except for tall claims of rainwater harvesting projects,” Venugopal said. His other promises are housing for all landless families and care centres for the elderly.
LDF candidate I B Satheesh and Venugopal were contemporaries at the Christian College, Kattakada. Satheesh won the Kattakada seat by a thin margin of 849 votes in the 2016 election. “The once UDF bastion has now become a Left forte and the LDF will win by a huge margin this time,” Satheesh said. “Let the people judge me by my work. I’m confident that I could implement development projects with a futuristic vision. The Jalasamrudhi and Oppam projects have brought the constituency international recognition” Satheesh said.
Jalasamrudhi is a water recharging and conservation project devised by the MLA. “We revived rivers and streams and created over 300 farm ponds. The ground water department has testified that Kattakada was the only place in the state where ground-water levels rose in 2019-20 period,” Satheesh said. “I receive good feedback for the Oppam project for women’s welfare. Under this, menstrual care rooms with a resting facilities, napkin vending machines and incinerators were set up in all government and aided schools. Wayside women-friendly restrooms were also built,” Satheesh said.
Krishnadas keen on raking in Nadar votes
NDA candidate P K Krishnadas finds time to meet influential personalities during mornings, while afternoons are for vehicle campaigning. “I require a four per cent increase in my 2016 vote share for a comfortable win. I’ve been active in Kattakada for the past ten years, since the beginning of 2000. I’m sure of triumph this time,” he told TNIE.
The former BJP state president said he would be able to corner more Nadar votes this time owing to the prevailing social-political situation. “Many sections of the society are irked by the state government’s flawed distribution of Central grants for the welfare of minority communities. They see BJP as a force which can curb religious extremism and ensure welfare of all,” he said.
