KANHANGAD: As far as keeping poll promises go, this will be a record hard to break. Within a couple of hours of winning the Darkkas ward in Balal panchayat on Wednesday, Congress' member-elect Alex Nediyakalayil went to Edakanam ST Colony and threw open a 100-metre private road for the residents.
"It will never be closed again," he said.
For years, 11 families of the Malavettuvan tribe in the colony and four other families outside the colony had to walk 600 metres from Edakanam junction to reach their houses. The reason -- of the 600-metre road, a stretch of 100 metres passes through the private property of 65-year-old NJ Varkey. He had put a GI pipe across the road and blocked the passage for vehicles.
"When I went to the colony to seek votes a month ago, the residents said they are boycotting the election because they did not have access to the road to their houses," said Alex, who is also a director in the Farmers' Development Bank Vellarikkundu. He immediately took up the matter with Varkey, whom he knew.
Varkey, known in the village as Kunju Varkey, is a self-made and award-winning farmer. A bit of a recluse, the bachelor-farmer produces almost everything he needs for his frugal living on his property, including water and electricity. He is an avid traveller and bird-watcher. He has made a booklet of birds seen on his property.
"Kunju Varkey 'chettan' told me that he will open the gate if I win the election," Alex said.
The Congress candidate called up a meeting with the colony residents and made the opening of the road an election promise. The colony has around 65 residents from 11 families. Thirty-five of them are voters.
They families work for an arecanut and coconut estate nearby. "We face a lot of hardship daily without the road. We have to carry our household items and sometimes even construction material on our head for 600 metres," said a resident Aneesh P.
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"We decided to boycott the election because it is of no use for us," he said.
But when Alex publicly assured them of the road, the residents not only decided to vote for him but also campaigned for him.
At 11.00 am on Wednesday, the results were declared. Alex defeated the Kerala Congress (Mani) candidate by 185 votes. By noon, Varkey had reached the entrance of the road and waited for the new member-elect, for he too decided to keep his word. An hour past noon, Alex reached Edakkanam. He kept the speech short.
"Thank you for giving your valuable votes and helping me win. Kunju Varkey chettan is the right person to open the gate," he said.
"I will give you the key. You should open it", said Varkey.
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Together they unlocked the padlock and removed the GI pipe to loud applause from the residents. Alex said he would get a consent letter from Varkey and submit a proposal for concreting or asphalting the road when the new panchayat board met.
The UDF had won 14 of the 16 members in Balal panchayat. The LDF won two seats.