PATHANAMTHITTA: In his long and illustrious political career, T M Thomas Isaac has never tasted defeat. This election, the four-time Kerala legislator – who won from Alappuzha in 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016 – finds himself in unfamiliar territory. This is his maiden attempt to the Lok Sabha, and Pathanamthitta, where he is the LDF candidate, has never elected a Left candidate. “It’s a risk I have taken. Bring it on,” laughs Isaac.
Wearing a green kurta, he and his team of 25-odd party workers are campaigning through the Poonjar assembly segment, a predominantly Muslim area. After four hours and 10 junction meetings, beginning from Mundakayam at 7.30am, Isaac opts for a break at a comrade’s house in Cheruvally. It has been two months since the 71-year-old hit the campaign trail, winding up and down the central Kerala constituency.
The former finance minister believes he has taken the lead over his Congress rival Anto Antony, who is contesting for a fourth consecutive term.
“In an election campaign, the incumbent has an initial advantage. But the gap wasn’t very wide. Not only have we closed the gap, we have gone ahead,” Isaac tells TNIE, sitting on a cot.
“This constituency is traditionally a UDF fortress. But the rubber crisis has brought about a steady Left-ward shift. Still, the pattern is that the people voted for the Left in the local government and assembly elections, but in the parliamentary election, they have always voted for Congress,” he says.
What makes Isaac confident is the decisive shift in two communities – the Pentecostal Churches, which have around 2 lakh voters, and the 1-lakh-odd Muslim community members, who have moved towards the Left.
“These two groups contribute significantly towards this dual pattern. What I have achieved in this campaign is that these two communities won’t go away from us. So, this traditional voting pattern is broken. The Muslim community is very clear that the Left is a strong force to support them, and the Pentecostal Churches are at the receiving end throughout India, and they perceive me as a person who would defend them in Parliament,” says Isaac.
A party worker knocks on the door. Time to move on to the afternoon campaign meetings. A reception at the CPM office nearby, then in Erumeli town, and a total of 14 meetings at various street corners before ending the day at Chennadu Kavala, at 7.30pm. Isaac gives a short interview to his social media team and gets into the car as the cavalcade of campaign vehicles heads to Erumeli. Crackers burst and poppers shower red confetti as 15-odd women in red parasols welcome the candidate.
After Adoor MLA Chittayam Gopakumar extorts the people to “elect someone who will make effective intervention” in important matters in parliament, Isaac steps up to say, “I want you to take your mobile phones and dial all your contacts to seek votes for me!” The writing on his all-red campaign vehicle says: ‘Pathanamthittayil Ethavana Dr T M Thomas Isaac’ (This time it’s Thomas Isaac in Pathanamthitta).