The rays of the morning sun slowly lit up the statue of Maharaja Rama Varma, standing tall in the heart of the temple town of Tripunithura. Seated in his taxi cab parked a stone’s throw from the golden-hued statue, Babu looked around aimlessly. It has been three days since he got a trip, and despair was writ large on his face.
After a brief chit-chat, the topic shifted to the election. Asked about the mood of the voters, Babu chose to keep his cards close to his chest.
“Voters here are intelligent. They know this is a national election that decides who should rule the country. Water, electricity, roads take a back seat. It’s clearly a political vote,” says the 62-year-old.
Tripunithura offered no indication that a Lok Sabha election was round the corner. No poster, no banner, no graffiti. Life went on as usual in Kochi’s satellite town.
Heading northwards, the stretch of the seaport-airport road that falls under the Thrikkakara assembly segment is chock-a-block during the morning rush hour. Tanker lorries and buses bully puny cars with a vengeance, while autorickshaws and two-wheelers jostle for space on the two-lane stretch leading to Infopark. Tempers are visibly high on the road. “It’s a daily ordeal,” avers Adarsh S K, an IT employee.
Motorists along the stretch rued that burning issues related to connectivity and infrastructure development are often pushed to the periphery, and politics dominates the electoral scene. In the urban areas under neighbouring Ernakulam assembly segment, many young voters confide that they are planning to skip the election on Friday, April 26, and go on a trip to enjoy the extended weekend.
A constituency mostly dominated by Latin Catholic voters, Ernakulam has witnessed a UDF streak in the three Lok Sabha elections since 2009. While sitting MP Hibi Eden is seeking a fresh term, it is a maiden electoral battle for LDF’s K J Shine. Referred to as Shine ‘Teacher’ on posters, she is the state committee member of the pro-CPM Kerala School Teachers’ Association. Though late to hit the campaign trail, academic-writer K S Radhakrishnan is in the fray as the NDA candidate in a constituency that also has a considerable presence of Dheevara voters, especially in the coastal areas.
While electioneering in the urban areas is lukewarm, the rural pockets have a fair share of posters and graffiti of the major candidates. Thadikkadavu, a sleepy village in the Kalamassery segment, offered a welcome break from the cacophony of the urban jungle. Two elderly men were engaged in a serious conversation. No prizes for guessing the obvious. They were discussing politics. The greenery of the paddy field nearby, the cool breeze and the comfort of a waiting shed seemed to offer the veterans a perfect setting for a countryside political debate.
Thameesuddin V A, 75, has seen many Lok Sabha elections. This time, he believes the Left will put up an improved performance across the state, though he remained non-committal about his own constituency, Ernakulam.
“The Citizenship Amendment Act and related issues are major talking points in these areas,” he says, given that Kalamassery has a considerable number of Muslim voters.
The adjacent North Paravoor assembly segment had seen the worst of the deluge in 2018. Some of the survivors are still piecing together their lives. Sunil Kumar and wife Soorya, who run a modest sewing machine service centre at Puthenvelikkara, are yet to come to terms with the tragedy.
“Our house in Vadakkekara panchayat was almost submerged in the flood. We were evacuated in a Navy chopper. Our sewing machine showroom and service centre, for which we had availed a bank loan, were ruined by the floodwaters. We suffered a loss of `25 lakh and had to sell our house,” Sunil says. The couple laments that neither the state government nor the Union government gave support to regain their livelihood.
To the west is the coastal assembly segment of Vypeen, dominated by Ezhava and Dheevara voters. Close to Puthuvype beach, Mani and wife Mini run a tea and refreshments shop, often frequented by local fishermen and tourists. Taking a break from his afternoon siesta, Mani says the area yearns for development.
“Visitors come to Puthuvype beach looking for a peaceful escape from city life. But so poor is the infrastructure here that they leave in no time. There has been big talk about promoting the beach as a tourist destination like Cherai, but all that remains on paper,” Mani says.
Across the Kochi shipping channel is Fort Kochi, a melting pot of culture and also known for its love for football. At the Veli ground, a few barefooted teenagers are practising. Taking his evening stroll, Xavier, associated with a local football club, chides the boys for playing without boots. He wants the elected representatives to do more to improve the sports infrastructure in Fort Kochi. As the conversation progresses, Xavier admits voters like him are concerned about the Manipur violence and the attacks on members of the minority communities in some parts of the country.
“The church has given a subtle message that the protection of one’s faith is paramount during these testing times,” he says.