KOCHI: With the nomination deadline for the by-election in Division 19 -- Ayyappankavu -- of Kochi corporation set to end on Thursday, the battle lines are becoming clear.
While the LDF and the NDA candidates have already filed their nominations, the UDF candidate -- most likely veteran Congress worker Ajith Kumar A K -- is expected to do so on the day. Ayyappankavu division fell vacant after Congress leader Deepak Joy, who was also the deputy mayor, resigned after winning the assembly election from Tripunithura. The campaign this time is set to be more rigorous, with the bypoll scheduled on September 28.
P K Usman, a local committee member and the city president of the Kanivu Pain and Palliative Care, is the CPM candidate.
“As the division remained without a representative after the assembly election, issues like drinking water shortage have been left unaddressed. People will realise the situation and support the left,” Usman said.
Ayyapankavu has been a Congress stronghold for the past three terms. Earlier, it was Division 68, but delimitation before the local body polls expanded the division, adding around 2,000 voters. For the LDF, the CPM took over the seat from the CPI in the last election.
“We are sure the people will choose the Congress again in Ayyapankavu,” said Mini Dileep, a former Congress councillor.
K V Bijoy, the NDA candidate, was the first to file nomination and has begun campaigning. “Both CPM and Congress have been cheating people, promising development. This bypoll itself is unwanted and the results will reflect the peoples’ emotion,” the BJP leader said.
The scrutiny of nominations will be held on September 11, while the last date to withdraw nomination is September 14. The result will be announced a day after polling, on September 29.
