THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thiruvananthapuram district grabs poll pundits’ attention for a host of reasons. Prominent among them is that fact that it holds the key to power or, in other words, decides who would rule the state. Just look at the past elections. The fronts that won people’s hearts in the capital district in the assembly elections in 2011 and 2016, in fact, ruled Kerala. LDF, which won nine of 14 constituencies in 2016 and wrested Vattiyoorkavu from Congress in the October 2019 byelection, has emerged more powerful in the local body polls after its worst debacle in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. UDF, which pocketed nine seats here in 2011 and subsequently ruled the state, is hoping to retrieve lost ground.
As in some other districts, a three-cornered fight is undoubtedly unfolding in the capital district, especially in city and suburbs, with a reinvigorated BJP looking for ways to retain its lone Nemom seat as well as hoping to upset the applecart of some heavyweights. This time, UDF has fielded firebrand leader K Muraleedharan to wrest Nemom from BJP.
Though a tight fight is on the cards in the district, LDF has a slight edge as it announced its candidates much earlier, who, in turn, started campaigning much ahead their rivals. However, election observers said UDF has, as expected, an edge in seats like Thiruvananthapuram, Aruvikkara and Kovalam.
Though CPM is confident of retaining Neyyattinkara through K Ansalan, who won in 2016, UDF’s decision to pitch former CPM turncoat R Selvaraj, who has considerable influence in the Nadar Christian community, has turned the one-sided fight into a neck-and-neck bout.
In Kazhakoottam, UDF, which fielded Dr S S Lal, invited the wrath of Congress workers over its pick. CPM has fielded Minister Kadkampally Surendran to retain the seat while BJP has, after intense internal bickering, fielded Shoba Surendran. Though Kadakampally is facing anti-incumbency, internal tussles in UDF and BJP over their respective candidates are likely to work in LDF’s favour.
In seats like Chirayinkeezhu, Nedumangad, Kattakada, Parassala, Vamanapuram, Attingal, Varkala and Vattiyoorkavu, Left has an edge due to factors like caste equations. Besides Nemom, BJP is hoping to make inroads in constituencies like Kattakkada, Vattiyoorkavu, Kazhakoottam and Thiruvananthapuram where it has the potential to decide the winners as BJP candidates are poised to net a sizeable chunk of votes.