PATHANAMTHITTA: Like the famed Palliyodams (sacred snake boats) that glide with perfect balance amid the undercurrents of the Pampa, candidates in Aranmula must possess the poise and precision to navigate the constituency’s political crosscurrents to stay afloat.
Historically, Aranmula has shown shifting political loyalties. Since 1957, the constituency has supported the Congress-led front nine times and the Left front seven times.
The LDF is leaning heavily on Veena George’s decade-long personal connect with voters, backed by the development push in the constituency. A first-time entrant in 2016, she returned with an increased majority in the subsequent election. The front is also foregrounding her tenure as health minister, betting that her governance record will convert into electoral support.
By finalising its candidate well before the election announcement, the LDF seemed to have gained an early edge. But the UDF moved swiftly to close the gap, converting initial uncertainty into momentum with the entry of Youth Congress national secretary Abin Varkey Kodiyattu. His candidature has energised the Congress camp, which is now focused on consolidating its base and ironing out internal dissent.
Despite a delayed announcement, the NDA has put forward senior leader Kummanam Rajasekharan, banking on his long association with Aranmula and deep familiarity with local voters to offset the late start.
Community dynamics remain central to the contest. Both LDF and UDF candidates belong to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Christian community--a key voting bloc in the constituency. In the last election, Veena drew a section of traditional Congress votes from this segment. The Congress, however, is striving to reverse the trend this time.
For the NDA, all assembly segments in Pathanamthitta are classified as ‘A’ category, underscoring the party’s strategic focus on the region. It is also aiming to boost its vote share by leveraging the political momentum around the Sabarimala gold theft row.