KOZHIKODE: It was an issue the CPM was wary of encountering during the election campaign in Vadakara. And to its dismay, the murder of T P Chandrasekharan has been revived as a point of discussion in a constituency that is expected to witness one of the tightest contests in the state.
Right from the beginning, the UDF sought to raise the issue of CPM’s political violence in Vadakara. But, it struggled to do so. However, the bomb blast in Panur, which has left one person dead, seem to have provided the Opposition front with ammunition to put its archrival on the defensive. The alleged links between some of the accused in the blast and convicts in the TP case has come in handy for the UDF.
Even before the blast, it was Vadakara MLA and TP’s wife K K Rema who was spearheading the UDF campaign. And murder of her husband was a constant refrain in Rema’s speeches. “TP is not just an election weapon; he is the truth that CPM is always afraid of. Chandrashekaran’s blood will reach till Pinarayi’s grave,” Rema told TNIE.
“Our fight is against the violent politics of the CPM. Their recent actions have proved that they are afraid of the election. Panur is a wake-up call. We are all afraid of what the CPM is planning next. Who is their target? No one should ever have the fate that befell TP. We are not using TP as a political tool. We are reminding the public how heinous CPM can be,” said Rema.
“The CPM leadership is aware of the bomb making in Panur. Those accused in the blast are close to Jyoti Babu and Kodi Suni, who were convicted in the TP murder case. It is learnt that Jyoti Babu’s crusher unit manager is among those absconding in the Panur case. This is how TP becomes relevant in this election,” she said. Rema emphasised that the CPM leadership had an agenda in fielding K K Shailaja in Vadakara.
“The CPM and Pinarayi are intimidated by Shailaja’s popularity. With Shailaja becoming the candidate, numerous allegations are being raised against her. People are discussing mismanagement of the Covid pandemic. This is precisely what the CPM wanted,” Rema said.
However, Vadakara LDF parliamentary committee convenor Valsan Panoli dismissed the argument that the TP case would be a focal point in the constituency. “How long will people continue to discuss TP? How many elections have come and gone since then? People are aware of the truth. They will not be swayed by false propaganda,” Valsan told TNIE.
Responding to Rema’s allegations, he said, “Rema does not have any other political issues to discuss. The TP factor is irrelevant here. Shailaja teacher will win with the biggest margin in the state,” he added.