THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though the Puthuppally verdict was on expected lines, it has helped re-energise the UDF. Confidence levels have soared to such an extent that the Opposition front has now set its eyes on a clean sweep in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The UDF always held the upper hand in Puthuppally. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan ensured that the candidature of Chandy Oommen was announced within three hours of the Election Commission announcing the vote. Though they knew that the sympathy wave in favour of the late Oommen Chandy would play a crucial role in the victory, Satheesan & Co were eager to ensure that it would count for something greater.
Unlike in the Thrikkakara by-election, the Opposition worked on stealth mode. But, when it mattered, such as reacting to the cyber attack against Chandy Oommen and his sister, Achu Oommen, senior leaders made their voice heard. If during the 2021 assembly election, Oommen Chandy’s margin of victory had thinned to 9,044 votes, this election saw all Church factions, apart from the NSS and the SNDP Yogam, standing firmly behind the former CM’s son. Unlike earlier, Congress leaders also kept the media at bay when they called on community heads.
Congress Working Committee leader A K Antony said erosion of their base proved detrimental to the Left leadership. “The LDF government is no longer neutral as it has started losing its base. There is no scope for recovery as there is a huge anti-incumbency wave against the government,” Antony told TNIE.
In the family meetings organised by the UDF, leaders highlighted the various corruption scandals that have buffeted the state government. Senior Congress MP K Muraleedharan, who had actively campaigned in the by-election, exuded confidence that the victory will lead to a clean sweep in the general elections in the state.
“The scenario is set for a repeat of the 2001 mandate, which saw the UDF front led by A K Antony winning 99 seats in the assembly. Voters were agitated when the LDF unleashed personal attacks on Chandy’s family,” Muraleedharan told TNIE. Ahead of Lok Sabha vote, the verdict has come as a morale booster not only to the Congress leadership but also to the UDF front.
Riding the wave of the thumping victory, the Congress will attempt to present a united face. Obviously, dissenting voices within the party, including senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, who’s harbouring resentment over the CWC fiasco, will choose not to disrupt the current equilibrium. Being a seasoned leader, he has realised that it would be better not to create unrest now.
The verdict would further strengthen the existing state leadership of Satheesan and state Congress chief K Sudhakaran, which will stand the party on good stead ahead of 2024.
On the other hand, it will be interesting to see how the Congress accommodates Chandy Oommen. The new group equations within the party following the victory will be open to speculation. How the factions respond to the delay on the part of Sudhakaran in revamping the organisation will be another key point to watch.