SULTAN BATHERY: Sultan Bathery has, for long, largely remained a UDF stronghold. Since the highland constituency’s formation in 1977, the Congress and its allies have lost the seat to the Left only twice — in 1996 and 2006.
This time, however, the contest appears less straightforward. Sitting MLA I C Balakrishnan is seeking a fourth consecutive term. Though buoyed by recent gains in local body polls, he faces a series of allegations, including graft and abetment of suicide.
The ST-reserved constituency includes Sultan Bathery municipality and the panchayats of Ambalavayal, Nenmeni, Noolpuzha, Mullankolly, Meenangadi, Poothadi and Pulpally.
A sizeable section of Wayanad’s ST population — including the Paniya, Kattunayakan, Kuruma and Adiya communities — is based here.
Their votes, along with those of the Christian farming community and the Muslim trading class, will be key to the outcome.
This election is shaped by everyday concerns, including human-wildlife conflict. Farmers continue to struggle with falling returns from pepper, coffee and ginger. Delays in granting forest land rights for tribal families and the impact of unregulated tourism also come up repeatedly in the campaigns.
Alleged links to the Sultan Bathery Cooperative Bank recruitment scam and the deaths of former DCC treasurer N M Vijayan and his son have cast a shadow on Balakrishnan’s campaign.
But that hasn’t shaken him. “After our performance in the local body elections, we are confident of improving our previous margin of 11,800 votes,” he said.
The LDF has again fielded M S Viswanathan, a leader from the Kuruma community. “Development as well as the cooperative bank scam will be focal points of our campaign,” he said.
The NDA adds another layer. The BJP has made gains across most panchayats, winning seats in all except Meenangadi. In the municipality, it narrowly lost three seats — by fewer than 10 votes. Candidate Kavitha A S says the party is looking beyond just increasing its vote share.
“I am contesting to win. For 15 years, there has been developmental stagnation here. We are putting forward the politics of development,” she says.
Notably, also in the fray is AAP’s Prakriti N V, a teacher and the first transwoman candidate from the Paniya community, reflecting a growing space for identity and grassroots campaigns.
With multiple factors in play, Sultan Bathery is set for a closely watched contest.