ALAPPUZHA: Though not a mainstream political figure, Virippukandathil Sreedharan Sudheeran is a ‘legend’ in Kerala’s electoral history.
That’s because his candidacy as a ‘namesake’ in the 2004 Lok Sabha election turned out to be a decisive factor in one of the state’s most closely watched contests.
Contesting as an independent in the Alappuzha constituency, V S Sudheeran secured 8,332 votes — a tally that ultimately influenced the outcome. And the ‘victim’, Congress stalwart V M Sudheeran lost, by a narrow margin of 1,009 votes to Dr K S Manoj, who was backed by the CPM.
Recalling the episode, V S Sudheeran, who worked at a coir company near Cherthala, said he entered the fray as a long-time supporter of Left politics. “My friends encouraged me. Some even arranged the deposit for filing the nomination,” he smiled. “I never expected to get so many votes.”
Notably, his election symbol — ‘Shuttlecock’ — also bore a visual resemblance to the Congress party’s ‘Hand’ symbol. “This added to the confusion among voters,” V S Sudheeran noted.
He also pointed to internal dissent within the Congress and “opposition from certain groups to V M Sudheeran’s stance on issues such as illegal sand mining” as factors that may have impacted the result.
Interestingly, V S Sudheeran claimed he received “strong support” even in traditional Congress strongholds. In one booth in Alappuzha municipality, he reportedly polled about 1,500 votes, hinting that dissatisfaction within sections of the UDF may have boosted his tally.
Reflecting on the broader trend, V S Sudheeran said fielding candidates with similar names had been attempted in earlier elections, but the 2004 results showed just how impactful such a strategy could be.