No-holds-barred campaigning on in Thrissur as all three fronts claim chance

A woman presenting UDF candidate K. Muraleedharan a his photo along with that of his father K. Karunakaran during the election campaigning at Manalur in Thrissur. | Photo Credit: K.K. NAJEEB

Nooru Pookkale.. Nooru Nooru Pookkale… Lal Salam... Lal Salam Sakhakkale… Singer Aloshi was singing at Thekkinkadu Maidan. The mood was upbeat. Party workers were carrying V.S. Sunil Kumar, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate in the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency, on their shoulders.

The cultural meet was organised by Kalalaya Koottayma (Campus Group), consisting of friends and colleagues of Mr. Sunil Kumar, as part of his campaign. The gathering, in which writers and cultural leaders attended, started with the reading of the Preamble of the Constitution.

‘Stopping hatred’

“This election is crucial for the country. We have to decide whether we need to uphold democracy and secularism. If we cannot stop hatred and religious polarisation, it will be the greatest harm we do to our future generations,” says Mr. Sunil Kumar.

He could call almost everyone gathered there by their name. This familiarity with the constituency is the trump card of the three-time MLA and former Agriculture Minister, who tries to convert this personal connections to votes.

On the other hand, the United Democratic Front (UDF) is banking not only on the image of K. Muraleedharan as the son of the late Chief Minister K. Karunakaran but also his reputation as a ‘troubleshooter’ in the Congress.

A surprise entry

There is no emotional play or gimmicks in his campaign. But Mr. Muraleedharan, who gave the election scene in Thrissur a jolt with a last-minute surprise entry, has managed to boost party workers’ spirit. “I have always come up through tight competitions. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is trying to kill democratic values. The country needs an alternative to the Sangh Parivar. Only the Congress can provide that,” said Mr. Muraleedharan.

Reiterating his allegation of a CPI(M)-BJP deal in Thrissur, Mr. Muraleedharan said: “The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leaders were questioned multiple times in the multi-crore Karuvannur loan scam. Why was none of them arrested? The ED questioning is just an eyewash. We suspect a hidden deal between the CPI(M) and the BJP in the issue.”

Prestige issue

Along with mega events attended by high-profile leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Suresh Gopi is concentrating on micro-campaigns such as family gatherings. For Mr. Gopi it’s a prestige issue as Thrissur is one of the seats on which the BJP has pinned high hopes.

“Don’t we need any development in the State? Don’t you want to extend the metro to Thrissur? Are you satisfied with the State’s development in the past years?” Mr. Gopi asks the gatherings, which consist of mostly women.

“I am asking you to vote for a change. I don’t want my attention to be distracted by to issues such as communal polarisation. I am only concerned about people’s issues. Think before you vote, and vote for yourself,” says the actor-turned-politician.