PALAKKAD: Colourful flex boards, tall promises, grand roadshows, and political bickering. As the race for the Palakkad by-election enters the home stretch, the political parties are tripping on hurdles. And, the several controversies that have crept up have left voters a disgruntled and disappointed lot.
Although it initially looked like a contest between the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led UDF, the CPM came into the picture with an impressive campaign for P Sarin, which has had UDF leaders concerned. According to political pundits, if Sarin manages to increase LDF’s vote share he may split the secular vote, which could benefit the NDA.
Despite NDA candidate C Krishnakumar sounding confident, recent controversies, including the Kodakara hawala scam, the revolt by Sandeep Varier and allegations against senior leader Sobha Surendran have left workers confused. Tensions in the UDF and NDA camps have given the LDF hope of improving its vote share.
“There are many local issues in play, including traffic congestion and delay in completing infrastructure projects. But politicians are bothered only about their personal gains. The indoor stadium project has been delayed by more than 10 years. The Government Moyan Model Girls School, with more than 5,000 students on its rolls, is holding classes on shift basis due to lack of space. I have been hearing promises about acquiring land from the day my daughter joined Class V. Now, she is in college and the project remains caught in red tape,” said activist Regina Noorjahan.
Another concern is the absence of a proper system for disposal of biodegradable waste.
The municipality continues to insist that it is the responsibility of residents to process biodegradable waste they generate by installing bio bins. However families living in apartment blocks say it is not practical. “We have decided to hand over the waste to private agencies who claim to sell it to pig farms,” said a woman resident.
Farmers in the panchayats of Mathur, Kannadi and Pirayiri complain that political parties have stopped listening to their worries. “There is no proper system for the procurement of paddy and we have been waiting for over a month. It is difficult to keep the paddy in the field due to intermittent rain. Besides, the cost of fertiliser and labour charges have gone up. Though the procurement price has been fixed at Rs 28.32 per kg, mill owners reduce the rate alleging moisture content and weight loss. Many farmers have sold their produce at Rs 22/kg to private agencies,” said Dinesh Choolanoor, a local farmer.
“The price of our produce is distributed as bank loan and we have to provide an assurance that we will make the payment if government fails to close the loan on time. The yield has been low this time due to rains. Migrant workers have increased wages and headload workers charge 50 paise per kg. The owners of harvesters are charging Rs 2,400 per hour.
We have to purchase gunny bags to pack the paddy. Expenses have increased but there has been no concomitant increase in returns. Every year the debt burden mounts and marginal farmers are being forced to sell land holdings,” said Mohandas, a farmer from Kannanur in Kannadi panchayat.
“The prices of all agricultural products including paddy, coconut, areca nut and rubber have been fluctuating and farming is no longer remunerative. Workers raise their wages at will and machine owners increase the rate every year. Where should we find resources?. The yield was very low this year and my friend who cultivated five acres of land got just five gunny bags of paddy. His return after spending lakhs was just `3,500,” said Murali Puthenpura a farmer from Podikulangara in Mathur panchayat.
“We don’t expect any instant solution from politicians. But they can at least give a patient ear to our grievances and stand by us in our agitation to get better rates for our produce. Nobody is concerned about our plight,” lamented Ajayakumar, another farmer.
The decision to postpone the polling date has been welcomed by families in Kalpathy. Politicians who feared a drop in polling percentages are also relieved.
But adding another weak to the poll campaign is gruelling for candidates. Each day a fresh controversy rises and allegations fill the air. The latest being the black-money raid at a hotel room of Congress women leaders.
The Pirayiri factor
With the Palakkad bypoll promising to be close affair, all the three major fronts are trying hard to widen their support base in the three panchayats of Kannadi, Mathur and Pirayiri. Though BJP has a clear upper hand in Palakkad municipal area, it trails its opponents in the three panchayats.
In 2021, Pirayiri, with its significant Muslim population, helped Shafi Parambil overcome the challenge posed by E Sreedharan. While UDF polled 12,815 votes in the panchayat, NDA could garner only 6,355 votes. The LDF finished second, securing 6,624 votes.
This time round. the BJP hopes the Muslim vote in Pirayiri will be split between the LDF and the UDF. The LDF, on its part, is hoping that the absence of Shafi will reduce the vote share of the UDF.
