KOCHI: Malampuzha, Malampuzha, always Malampuzha; as long as there is water in the Malampuzha Dam, the Left will continue to win…’ The slogan still reverberates in the ears of the people of Malampuzha every election.
At crucial political moments, Malampuzha has emerged as a constituency that has stood firmer than many party bastions, steadfastly backing leaders such as E K Nayanar and V S Achuthanandan. A traditional stronghold of the CPM, Malampuzha has, since its inception, elected only Left candidates.
Interestingly, it has also been a land of refuge — electing several leaders from outside the constituency.
“Malampuzha has long been a strong political base of the party,” CPM state committee member N N Krishnadas said. “Party leaders can confidently contest from here, trusting the electorate, which has consistently stood with the Left. History bears testimony to this trend,” he told TNIE.
Explaining the historical context, Krishnadas said that in 1980, the-then CPM state secretary E K Nayanar, hailing from Kannur, contested from Malampuzha and went on to become chief minister. Achuthanandan also represented the constituency, though he was not from the region.
“T Sivadasa Menon, too, was not from Malampuzha. Such factors have never been an issue for party workers,” he said.
Another instance dates back to 1977, when P V Kunhikannan, a native of Kannur, won from Malampuzha as the party candidate. He also served as LDF convenor.
During 1980-82 and again from 1982 to 1987, Nayanar represented Malampuzha. In the 1980 assembly election, the CPM-led LDF secured a decisive mandate, winning 93 seats, paving the way for Nayanar to assume office as CM on March 26, 1980.
His government, however, was short-lived, collapsing in October 1981 after its allies, the Congress (A) led by A K Antony and the Kerala Congress led by K M Mani, pivoted to the UDF. Nayanar later served as leader of opposition from 1982 to 1987.
He was succeeded by Sivadasa Menon, who went on to win three consecutive terms from the constituency (1987-1991, 1991-1996, 1996-2001). A prominent figure in Kerala politics, Menon served twice as minister, handling the electricity and rural development department in the 1987 Nayanar ministry and finance in the 1996 ministry. He also served as chief whip while in the opposition in 1991.
Achuthanandan marked the next defining phase. Despite electoral setbacks in his native region, including defeats in Ambalapuzha and Mararikulam, Malampuzha remained his political fortress.
From 2001 until his retirement from active politics, the constituency consistently backed him, helping cement his stature as one of Kerala’s tallest leaders.
Achuthanandan represented Malampuzha across four terms, 2001-2006, 2006-11, 2011-16, and 2016-21. In 2006, he was sworn in as chief minister and later served as leader of opposition. Notably, he rarely spent more than a week campaigning in Malampuzha during elections. Yet, the electorate stood behind him, steadily increasing his victory margins from modest beginnings to tens of thousands in subsequent polls.
His association with Malampuzha was captured in a popular slogan: “As long as there is a land called Malampuzha, Comrade VS will be its MLA.”
The sentiment reflected the constituency’s unwavering loyalty, embracing him as its own even when he faced setbacks in his birthplace of Alappuzha. “I played a crucial role in his election campaigns in Malampuzha,” Krishnadas said.
Even in the current political context, Malampuzha draws attention. A Suresh, a former personal assistant to Achuthanandan, is contesting as a Congress candidate despite being an outsider. He faces sitting CPM MLA A Prabhakaran, setting the stage for another closely watched contest in this politically symbolic seat.
