A deserted stillness greets the morning at Kannattu Kavala in Kombukuthi, a tranquil village nestled in the eastern high ranges on the edge of the Kottayam district and enveloped by the Sabarimala forest range.
Scattered across these ancient trees are campaign posters for the Poonjar assembly constituency candidates — Sebastian Kulathungal (LDF), M J Sebastian (UDF), and P C George (NDA).
In Poonjar, the election is shaping up to be an exciting triangular contest following George’s political manoeuvre. Having represented the constituency five times — under the LDF, the UDF, and as an independent — his entry as a BJP candidate now has introduced a new dynamic.
Driving on, the rocky road winds through the forest to a tribal settlement area near Mulamkunnu, where about 30 families live in fear of elephants, leopards, bears, and venomous snakes. Understandably, they are indifferent to the sound and fury of the heated poll campaign in the ‘outside world’.
“Over 50 families once lived here. Many have relocated due to the threat of wild animals and lack of a motorable road,” laments K K Sulochana, a resident. “No one has bothered about our decades-long demand for a motorable road.”
The story is pretty much the same along the forest fringes of Koottikkal, Mundakayam and Erumely grama panchayats in the constituency. Away from the forest fringes, the situation takes a different turn in Kanjirappally, the heartland of rubber plantations. The town is abuzz with routine activities, briefly interrupted by political party representatives seeking votes for their candidates.
Away from the town, a palpable dissatisfaction simmers among rubber farmers. “The soaring prices of essentials and high living expenses, has rendered existing rubber prices unsustainable to farmers,” says P B Lal, a small-scale rubber farmer in Ponkunnam.
“With the rubber market remaining vulnerable for nearly a decade and a half, many growers have abandoned rubber cultivation or left their plantations lying idle. Rubber farmers’ frustrations will definitely be reflected in the election,”
In contrast to tepid election mood in Kanjirappally, Pala is witnessing a thriller contest involving Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K Mani (LDF), BJP state vice president Shone George (NDA) and sitting MLA Mani C Kappen (UDF). The talk of the town is a massive rally organised by Shone, who has stunned his rivals in the initial phase of the campaign.
“Shone’s entry has escalated the contest into a fierce, triangular showdown,” says Shibu Raghavan, an autorickshaw driver.
However, the eastern panchayats in Pala constituency, home to prominent tourism destinations such as Ilaveezhapoonchira, Ayyanpara and Illikkal Kallu, are caught in a paradoxical situation.
While tourism has transformed the lives of some on one side, the interior and Dalit settlements are still grappling with issues such as lack of safe housing.
Omana Prasad, who runs a small roadside shop selling beverages and snacks at Poonchira, says she now earns at least Rs 1,000 a day, “thanks to the development of roads to the tourism destination”.
On the other side, a different reality unfolds in Prathibha Nagar Colony in Melukavumattom. P M Salim, a lorry driver, highlights the prolonged wait for title deeds for their land and a structurally sound house. “There are 22 houses here that lack pattayam (title deed),” he adds. His wife, Remani, points to a ramshackle structure: “We live in this dilapidated house, prone to leaks during rains. It can collapse at any moment. The government should at least undertake maintenance of our houses.”
Moving to the western periphery of the district, Vaikom, a region cradled by backwaters and fertile paddy fields, is grappling with a multitude of challenges following the collapse of traditional sectors such as coir and fishing.
Similar issues in the paddy sector — such as procurement delay and payment woes — are prevalent throughout the Upper Kuttanad region, which encompasses Vaikom, Kaduthuruthy, Ettumanoor, Changanassery, and parts of Kottayam and Puthuppally.
Having a multilateral identity, stretching from its coastlines to paddy fields, rubber plantations and tourist destinations, Kottayam’s inherent diversity creates complex political terrain for candidates. Conquering the district, therefore, requires campaign strategies tailored to the socio-economic and demographic makeup of each constituency, or even within a constituency.
PM in Palakkad, Thrissur today
Palakkad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to undertake high-profile campaign programmes in Palakkad and Thrissur on Sunday, intensifying the NDA’s assembly election push in Central Kerala. The visit will feature a major public address in Palakkad and a roadshow in Thrissur.
Officials confirmed that the PM will arrive at the helipad set up at Mercy College, Palakkad, at 1.15pm. From there, he will proceed by road to Fort Maidan, where he will address a large gathering at 1.30pm.
BJP sources said that the function is expected to draw over 50,000 people, with all NDA candidates from the district and senior alliance leaders present on stage. After the Palakkad event, Modi is expected to head to Thrissur by 3.30pm.
He will land at the helipad of C Achutha Menon Government College, Kuttanellur, around 4pm before moving towards the city centre. In Thrissur, the roadshow will commence near the District Hospital on Swaraj Round and continue up to Bini Heritage Home, allowing the Prime Minister to directly engage with supporters lining the route.