In the background of BJP’s intense struggle to break into Kerala politics’ bipolar divide, the Opposition Congress had a mountain to climb this time. The results of the Lok Sabha poll will possibly assist the party leadership in realizing and coping with it better.
The other week, K. Sudhakaran, president of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), took up his role once more after fighting hard for it, having temporarily handed over charge to M.M. Hassan due to his candidature from Kannur Lok Sabha constituency. He must have known that if the Congress does not do well in an election, he may be replaced by the central leadership of the party. However, even when the party performs well; considering that there is usually reshuffling within the organization after every second election, his reinstatement may also be doubtful.
Two senior leaders of Congress, Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal contested from Kerala. While Mr. Gandhi’s reelection appears imminent for Wayanad constituency at least; he had to fight against feisty CPI leader Annie Raja and BJP State president K.Surendran among others. Hence from 431 thousand votes which made him win last year elections there might occur less margin of victory for him again this time around as well as MR.Gandhi entered race in Rae Bareli UP
If Mr.Venugopal beats Alappuzha which he represented since 2009 till 2019 then he would snatch away only seat won by CPM in 2019 through ballot box. But indeed margine of victory will be keenly followed too.BJP state vice-president Shobha Surendran’s entering contesting for Alappuzha LS seat changed poll dynamics within the constituency.BJP named her so as to ensure that Venugopal who is second in line after Mallikarjun Kharge doesn’t easily triumph over.
Certain prominent Congress candidates are contesting from constituencies having three-way fights. The Congress has picked K.Muraleedharan, a former KPCC president and sitting MP of Vadakara to fight Suresh Gopi – an actor -politician from BJP who polled nearly one-third of total votes in 2019- in Thrissur. If Mr Muraleedharan loses, the central leadership of the Congress will probably accept that his sister Padmaja Venugopal, who dramatically joined BJP before the elections, is more powerful than him in Thrissur that is widely believed to be their late father K. Karunakaran’s stronghold although she herself hasn’t won any electoral battles so far.
Nonetheless, some of his supporters already portray his candidature as martyrdom after he accepted the request by party leadership to take on Mr.Gopi. When all the sitting Congress MPs were re-nominated, T.N.Prathapan was replaced as the MP for Thrissur.
A fourth consecutive victory for Shashi Tharoor, a member of Congress Working Committee (CWC), from Thiruvananthapuram would not only consolidate his standing in Kerala politics but also raise his profile at the national level. Conversely, if he loses it will be a huge blow to his political career in Kerala and might make him quit city’s political arena altogether. His critics within the party may then point out several issues such as; high handedness with which he runs things and tendency to annoy senior leaders.
In Chalakudy constituency, Benny Behanan is running for re-election. This is the only constituency in which a fledgling political party has fielded a candidate backed by a business group. The Congress will have to cope with the necessity of adjusting its programmes to satisfy the aspirations of Christian middle class if Mr. Behanan loses; this group dominates in Chalakudy and prefers a politics of Twenty 20.
The decision made by the Congress for nominating Shafi Parambil, who represents Palakkad in its legislature to contest from Vadakara was based on two factors; firstly, it was thought just and appropriate that the seat be retained after Mr Muraleedharan was shifted to Thrissur; secondly, because there were no Muslim candidates among all others and he had been chosen for a sensitive seat as a result. Whether it was right or wrong move will be seen soon.
There are rumours that some disgruntled congress leaders could soon desert their party and that BJP is actively wooing them into its fold. If at all INDIA fails in dislodging BJP led government at centre then this trend will heighten even further.
