In Kerala’s Alathur, Congress fights to retain seat against resurgent Left

In the sweltering heat, with temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius, Ramya Haridas, the 38-year-old Congress candidate in Kerala’s Alathur Lok Sabha constituency, toured the Chelakkara Assembly segment in an open jeep, engaging in corner meetings, aiming for a second term as MP.

On a scorching Sunday, she was tasked with visiting 62 locations spanning from Attoor to Kuthambulli. At each stop, she spent three to five minutes delivering brief speeches, soliciting votes.

The Federal met her at Arangottukara in rural Thrissur and accompanied her through half-a-dozen points. At each location, Congress workers, 15 to 25 in number, eagerly awaited her arrival.

Confident Ramya

“I am fully confident of clinching victory once more. My unwavering trust lies with the electorate, and the dedicated efforts I have undertaken are poised to resonate with them. Moreover, the political landscape, both at the national and state levels, augurs well for my candidacy,” said Ramya.

“We are confidently telling voters that Rahul Gandhi should be at the helm to confront the BJP government and its divisive policies,” she added. “The CPI(M) and the Left have no role in it. The voters knew it then, and they know it now. I am not bothered about the opponent.”

Mohammed Kutty, a grocery shop owner of Deshamangalam, agrees with her. “Ramya is all set to continue her winning streak," he told The Federal. "She is such a down-to-earth person and very friendly. The Congress leaders introduced her as a little sister for Alathur voters. She has proven she is one of us.”

On the other hand, the very presence of K Radhakrishnan, the Kerala Minister for Devaswom Affairs and Scheduled Castes and Tribes, loudly underscores the CPI(M)’s determination to reclaim the seat.

Radhakrishnan, revered as one of the most transparent and humble politicians in Kerala, is a central committee member of the party and represents the Dalit community. He has made his mark since becoming a minister in the 1996 Nayanar ministry at a very young age. Many in the Left-liberal circles even see him as a future chief minister.

He was elected from Chelakkara in 2021 to the Kerala Assembly, securing over 54 per cent of the votes and a resounding majority of 39,400 votes. It was his fifth victory since 1996, except 2006, when he chose not to contest due to organisational responsibilities. He has not yet been defeated in any election.

Marxists’ campaign

Radhakrishnan’s campaign trail seemed to be much more organised and even organic thanks to the strong roots of the communist party. The well-oiled party machinery is visible in every inch of the campaign.

The Federal caught up with his convoy at Nenmara, a predominantly rural area where peasants constitute a significant portion of the voter base. In areas like Govindapuram and Kollenkode, where the constituency shares its border with Tamil Nadu, rural folks — mainly women agricultural workers — were a common sight in his corner meetings.

“I can assure you that I will not misuse my authority as an administrator for personal gain. You are well aware of this from my last five terms as an MLA and minister in this state,” Radhakrishnan told a gathering of 50-odd people, a majority of them working-class women.

One woman, Krishnamma, said: “This time, we are sure he will win, but what we are going to lose is a (state) minister who is so friendly to women like me. He knows what the life of the downtrodden is all about.” She was referring to Radhakrishnan’s humble background as the son of Dalit agricultural labourers.

Stretching across Palakkad and Thrissur districts, Alathur was carved out of the Ottapalam Lok Sabha constituency in 2008.

Ottapalam elected former president KR Narayanan in1989 and 1991 too. The real political shift in the constituency happened in 1993 when CPI(M)’s little-known S Sivaraman trumped Congress heavyweight KK Balakrishnan by a whopping 132,764 votes.

Post-Babri years

It was the first election after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, and it marked the first instance of an absolutely political voting by the minority community, which had so far been a surefire vote bank of the Congress in Kerala.

From that point onwards, Ottappalam and subsequently Alathur, since 2009, stood as strongholds of the Left, particularly the CPI(M), until 2019 when they witnessed another historic upset.

Young Congress leader Ramya Haridas defeated incumbent MP PK Biju by an astonishing 1,58,968 votes in a remarkable feat, totally unexpected for the LDF.

Sabarimala, Rahul factors

The Sabarimala fiasco, after which the Hindu community turned against the Left for facilitating women’s entry after a Supreme Court verdict, coupled with the minority consolidation due to the presence of Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad, handed out the biggest defeat for the communists in Kerala.

Alathur constituency, reserved for Scheduled Castes, consists of four Assembly segments from Palakkad district (Tarur, Chittur, Nemmara and Alathur) and three Assembly segments from Thrissur (Chelakkara, Kunnamkulam and Wadakkanchery). Tarur and Chelakkara are reserve for Scheduled Castes. All of them have had CPI(M) MLAs since 2016.

Kerala’s Central woes

Alathur is one of the rare constituencies in Kerala where farmers and agricultural labourers are predominant. This is precisely why LDF campaign managers are concerned about the paddy procurement dues from the Union government and the welfare pension crisis due to financial constraints,

“Our primary campaign focus specific to this constituency is the financial strain we have endured under the Central government. For the past five years, we have been deeply concerned about the delay in paddy procurement dues, compounded by UDF’s campaign blaming us for the issue. Similarly, welfare pension disbursements faced challenges,” said K Babu, the MLA of Nenmara.

“Now, with the Central government acknowledging the outstanding dues, we feel a sense of relief. We can now convey this to the voters, and our local comrades are effectively doing so,” he added. “We have initiated the clearance of welfare pension arrears as well. With this progress, we have the confidence to reclaim the constituency.”

“Safeguarding democracy”

Speaking to The Federal, Radhakrishnan added: “This election is ultimately about safeguarding our country and democracy, and the common people are keenly aware of that. Our campaign focuses on highlighting the Congress’ inability to effectively challenge the BJP. People are increasingly convinced that the Congress is playing soft Hindutva card, evident from their stance on issues like Ayodhya. The omission of the CAA from their manifesto further reinforces this perception.”

It is significant that the only Muslim candidate of the BJP, Dr Abdul Salam, was sidelined from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow, pointed out the CPI(M)’s Radhakrishnan.

Minority issues

In a constituency that witnessed the political mobilization of the Muslim minority in favour of the LDF in the 90s, it is evident that issues like the CAA-NRC and Uniform Civil Code are being discussed. CPI(M) workers are raising these concerns, albeit cautiously, particularly in minority pockets.

Said Babu, “We are not solely focused on issues like the CAA, but it is inevitable they will be central to discussions. If minority issues are addressed at the grassroots level, there is a strong possibility of us not only winning Alathur but the entire state.”

“Emotional issues”

According to Ramya Haridas, the CPI(M) and the LDF are attempting to divert attention from issues such as the corruption within their leadership, including the Karuvannur bank scam, and financial mismanagement of the government.

“They do so by raising emotional issues that polarize the people. The Congress leadership has already made its stance on CAA clear, yet CPI(M) leaders are spreading misinformation about it.”

But the Congress candidate avoided addressing the question about the CAA not finding a place in the party’s manifesto.

The BJP has nominated Dr TN Sarasu, a retired government college principal, as its candidate. She gained attention when activists of the CPI(M) wing the Students Federation of India at Victoria College in Palakkad performed a death ritual upon her retirement by raising a tomb in the college campus.