PUTHUPPALLY: Chembankuzhy, an otherwise silent and remote rural neighbourhood in Meenadom panchayat suddenly woke up to some hustle and bustle. It’s 8.30 am on Friday. An array of vehicles are parked on the wayside. At the tiny courtyard of a small grocery-cum-vegetable shop, a host of leaders including Agriculture Minister P Prasad, MLAs H Salam, M Vijin, and CPI district secretary V B Binu, along with a small crowd are waiting for LDF candidate Jaick C Thomas.
As the wait went on for more than 15 minutes, Prasad, who was supposed to inaugurate the open vehicle campaigning for the day, commenced his speech. Soon, Jaick is seen walking alone towards the venue from one end of the road. As he approached the venue, DYFI district secretary B Suresh Kumar and others rushed to receive him.
In the backdrop of thunderous ‘inquilab’ slogans, Jaick is welcomed to the starting point of his vehicle rally in the constituency. Meanwhile, Prasad continues his speech focussing on the development of Puthuppally constituency. “You have an LDF MP here. Six out of eight grama panchayats are being ruled by the LDF. The government is led by the LDF. If you have an LDF MLA, your development dreams will be fulfilled. Think, what if you elect an MLA for the Opposition bench,” Prasad said.
After the minister formally inaugurated the campaign, Jaick delivered a brief speech focussing on the pathetic condition of interior roads, dilapidated condition of government offices, and drinking water issues in various places across the district. “You cannot see people collecting drinking water from a quarry pond in any other constituency. Puthuppally deserves better roads, a mini civil station, drinking water for all and other development projects. Puthuppally badly needs an LDF representative in the assembly to end the development stalemate of this constituency,” Jaick said.
As he was about to leave the place, seventy-year-old Omana Raju, a local resident, approached him and pointed out the bad condition of the road passing through there. “Give me a chance, I will address this for sure,” replied Jaick with a pat on her cheeks and walked towards an open jeep parked on the wayside.
As the vehicle moved on, people waiting on both sides of the road waved at him. Accompanied by scores of two-wheelers, and other vehicles, Jaick travelled through the interior roads of Meenadom panchayat. As the vehicle reached Manjadi, the next point, SFI activists received him with a red salute and ‘Kanne Karale Jaick chetta’ slogans. After receiving red garlands Jaick made a brief speech focussing on development. Speech, however, was slightly disrupted following technical faults with the mike. Soon, technicians replaced the mike and he continued the speech.
Though the tour was scheduled to enter Puthuppally panchayat by 10 am, it was delayed by two hours owing to massive response from the crowd at various points. He, however, completed his tour in the Puthuppally panchayat late in the night.