PATHANAMTHITTA: From the controversy surrounding the Sabarimala gold theft to the political storm over the Rahul Mamkootathil sexual assault case, a series of high-voltage issues are expected to shape electoral narratives in Adoor.
A constituency reserved for the scheduled caste in Pathanamthitta district, Adoor continues to present a complex electoral picture marked by interesting shifts in vote shares.
The constituency comprises the Adoor and Pandalam municipalities and the panchayats of Pandalam Thekkekkara, Thumpamon, Kodumon, Ezhamkulam, Erathu, Pallikkal and Kadampanad. CPI leader Chittayam Gopakumar has represented the seat for the past three terms.
Adoor, which has tended to favour sitting MLAs, was once a Congress bastion. For two decades, beginning 1991, Adoor sent Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan to the assembly for four consecutive terms. In 2011, the CPM-led LDF wrested back the seat and it has since remained with the Left.
Despite the shadow of the Sabarimala controversy, the LDF is banking on its development track record, even as the front can hardly overlook the enduring popularity of Chittayam, though the candidates are yet to be announced.
“Over the past decade, the ruling front has carried out extensive infrastructure development in the region, particularly in the health and education sectors. The constituency has witnessed visible growth with new markets, smart anganwadis, stadium, court complex, and several government institutions. This development has been reflected in the assembly as well. I am confident the LDF will retain the seat this time too with a comfortable majority,” Chittayam told TNIE.
Though the UDF has attempted a revival in Adoor, factionalism has turned out to be an embarrassment for the Congress.
Political observers say the fallout of the Rahul Mamkootathil issue is likely to be felt most sharply in his hometown, Adoor, after Palakkad where he is the incumbent MLA. After the Rahul episode, the defeat of his close aide and Youth Congress leader Fenni Ninan in the region was another setback for the Congress. Adding to the party’s woes is the absence of a strong and acceptable local leader to anchor the campaign.
The Congress had pinned its hopes on M G Kannan to further its cause in Adoor, but he passed away last May. In 2021, the Adoor seat was allotted to him for his maiden assembly contest.
Despite the Left having enjoyed a margin of nearly 26,000 votes in the previous election, Kannan succeeded in reducing it to below 3,000 votes. During the campaign period, the image of Kannan waiting at the Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, carrying his cancer-stricken son on his shoulders, remains etched in public memory.
The BJP too is eyeing Adoor, sensing an opportunity to expand its footprint amid growing voter fatigue with the traditional fronts. Armed with the Sabarimala issue, the party is seeking to make inroads in the constituency which includes Pandalam, long regarded as the citadel of the hill-shrine politics.
“All assembly seats in Pathanamthitta are ‘A’ category constituencies for the BJP. Adoor and Tiruvalla, in particular, offer strong winning prospects,” said BJP state general secretary Anoop Antony.
“We have carried out sustained grassroots work during the local body elections. There has been virtually no infrastructure development in the district, and even facilities at Sabarimala remain inadequate. Tiruvalla, the only railway station in the district, has far greater scope for expansion than nearby Chengannur in Alappuzha district,” he added.
Heading into another electoral battle, the constituency is no longer a one-sided affair. The narrowing margins suggest that even minor shifts in alliances, candidate selection, or voter mobilisation could significantly influence the final outcome.