By P. Sreekumaran
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the first phase of the campaign for the local bodies elections in Kerala having come to an end, the stage is set for a no-holds-barred battle for supremacy. The polls are scheduled to be held on December 9 and December 11.
The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is exuding quite confidence of repeating the 2020 performance, while the Congress-headed United Democratic Front(UDF) is locked in a grim battle for survival. As for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which the BJP heads, it is trying to emerge as a viable third force in the State.
The LDF, it may be mentioned, scored a remarkable victory in the 2020 local bodies poll, winning five of the six corporations, 43 of the 86 municipalities, 11 of the 14 district panchayats, 108 of the 152 block panchayats, and 514 of the 941 gramapanchayats. That victory paved the way for it to secure an unprecedented consecutive term in the State in 2021.
The LDF camp’s confidence is based on its impressive performance in power for the last nine years. The thrust of its campaign has been its developmental and welfare record of close to a decade. The big boost to infrastructure and a raft of welfare measures were made possible by continuity in power. The icing on the cake is the achievement in making the State free of extreme poverty. Another factor in the LDF’s favour is that there is no anti-incumbency wave against the Government.
Of course, the UDF and ther BJP are pulling out all the stops to make life difficult for the LDF. But their efforts do not seem to be yielding fruits. The opposition’s main campaign themes are the arrest of former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A. Padmakumar, a CPI(M) district committee member, in the Sabarimala gold theft case and the Enforcement Directorate’s notice to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in connection with the masala bonds issued by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board(KIIFB). The CPI(M) is countering these allegations with the contention that the arrests in the Sabarimala theft case shows that the Government has not interfered with the process of law. It has dismissed the ED notice as the usual election-eve gimmick by the BJP, which should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves.
Another plus point for the LDF has been its success in accommodating the wishes of the allies. For instance, it has succeeded in addressing the concerns of the Kerala Congress(M) and allaying its fears amid speculation that it was moving closer to the UDF camp. The CPI(M) is also contesting more number of wards in Central Kerala, a stronghold of the KC(M). The friction with the CPI over the lack of consultation before the Government signed the National Education Policy-linked PM-SHRI scheme to secure federal funding estimated at 1,446 crore for school education has been taken care of. All is well on the CPI(M)-CPI front.
Similarly, it is a big relief for the LDF that both the Nair Service Society(NSS), the representative organisation of the powerful Nair community in the State, and the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, the organization of the Ezhava community, have fully supported the Government’s Global Ayyappa Sangamam. The Government and the LDF are sighing a big sigh of relief that neither the NSS nor the SNDP have turned against the Government even after the recent controversies at Sabarimala. The LDF is also trying to make political capital by condemning the covert alliance between the UDF and the communal Jamaat-e-Islami as well as the Social Democratic Party of India(SDPI).
On the whole, the LDF is trying to make sure that the local bodies elections lends the final thrust to its quest for return to power for a third consecutive term.
In glaring contrast, the UDF is fighting a life and death battle to remain politically relevant in the State. It just cannot afford to suffer another defeat. Its political identity as a stable coalition is at stake. The Front is making desperate efforts to unseat the LDF by forging ties with blatantly communal outfits like the Jamaat-e-Islami and the SDPI. The leader of the coalition, Congress is is bad shape, riven by internal schism and groupism. Its top leaders are working at cross purposes. The High Command is making a brave attempt to make it function as a cohesive force. The UDF is trying to cash in on the Sabarimala controversy. But will it succeed in turning the issue into electoral success like it did in 2020? Highly unlikely. For, such issues do not count with the people in the local bodies polls. Here bread and butter issues will decide the outcome.
Last but not the least, the UDF is troubled by the rebel menace. It is really threatening to upset the UDF’s calculations. Committees have been formed to sort out the problem. Will the panels succeed in their mission? Time alone can tell. Past record is anything but impressive.
As for the BJP, the party is trying to make its presence felt. It is dreaming high on expanding the party’s influence by aiming to achieve a 25 per cent vote share. The BJP-led NDA is concentrating on Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur Corporations. The saffron camp is confident of winning Thrissur. The campaign to conquer Thrissur is being led by its MP and Union minister of state Suresh Gopi. The scene in Thiruvananthapuram is not all that rosy. Suicides by some of its workers and the corruption charge against the BJP State chief Rajiv Chandrasekhar could cost them dear. It is more confident of retaining Palakkad municipality. But there too, dissidents are causing anxious moments for the BJP. It won’t be a surprise if Palakkad slips out of the BJP’s hands this time. (IPA Service)
