Election fever in Palakkad, Kerala: Parties compete for votes, bringing together despair and development

When visiting Palakkad town and the surrounding villages, one can’t help but wonder whether A Vijayaraghavan of the CPM and Shafi Parambil, the young Turkish member of Congress, would be the key contenders in this election. Because of Shafi’s extraordinary political reputation among the general public and Congressmen, it seems that Shafi’s influence in the constituency has an impact on the outcome for UDF candidate and current MP V K Sreekandan.

LDF MLAs represent five of the seven assembly seats in the Palakkad parliamentary constituency, while UDF lawmakers represent the other two, Mannarkkad and Palakkad. In Kerala, however, Palakkad has a particular position in the Sangh Parivar hierarchy. The NDA candidate in this seat is C Krishna Kumar, whom the BJP regards as a potential dark horse. In Palakkad and Malampuzha, the BJP secured the runner-up position in the assembly elections of 2016 and 2021. The issue is, “For how long will the Left continue to hold onto its strongholds?” We shall learn more from this Lok Sabha election.

The lives of common men and women in the rural are depressing, outside from political politics. Additionally, the constituency’s small merchants and bakers don’t have many positive stories to share. The primary topic of conversation among Palakkad locals is infrastructural development, notwithstanding the presence of IIT and industrial facilities. The discussions do not touch on Tamil Nadu’s breach of the Parambikulam-Aliyar interstate water sharing agreement or the farmers in Chittur who are suffering from the drought. The predicament of the Scheduled Tribes in Attappadi is also not discussed.

People often go outside only after 4 p.m., when the temperature soars beyond 40 degrees Celsius due to the intense sun. Groups of people of all ages congregate in Kotta Maidan, as conversation gradually shifts to the three major candidates’ respective campaign strategies.

Ashkar, a caterer, believes that Sreekandan “has every chance of winning a second term under Shafi’s clout.” According to Shuhaib, a fitness instructor in New Delhi, “Shafikka (brother Shafi) has done so much for Palakkad as an MLA that it is a huge advantage for the UDF candidate.”

But according to former BSNL executive Ramachandran, the Congress and the BJP are fighting one other directly. He claims that there is a feeling against the state government held by the incumbent.

Supporter of CPM Narayanan, meantime, queries the reasoning behind his friend’s view. He queries, “How is that possible when the majority of the assembly constituencies are with the LDF?”

The river Kalpathi has almost completely dried up while traveling the Shoranur-Pattambi route across the Parali bridge, suggesting an impending drought. Hoardings and buntings on each side of the road, however, give away the intensity of the campaign. “In Palakkad, there are opportunities for both the Congress and the CPM,” says Sabu, a vendor of pyrotechnics at Parali Junction.

Komalam, a housewife waiting for a bus, compliments Sreekandan in the meanwhile. She adds, “He has started a number of development measures.”

She also views the panchayat administration in a different light. “During the LDF administration, people had greater work possibilities. The condition of the roads now is appalling. Additionally, the drinking water supply is chaotic, according to Komalam.

Seated among empty shelves at an improvised roadside kiosk, BJP booth committee secretary Saseendran provides an insight into the life of impoverished people. He notes, “Low-income people had reduced spending after the Covid pandemic, while upper-class people were spending a lot in malls.”

Saseendran believes that the candidate of his party has no chance in this election. At the booth level, funds for the campaigns have not yet been made available. All we need to do is deliver notifications to the homes. I believe the cost cap was put in place because there were claims that politicians had embezzled money during the last election,” he explains.

Given that Palakkad was formerly a stronghold of the CPM, the latter views the BJP’s expansion as a danger. And bad circumstances are often the outcome of the competition, according to Ratheesh, who has worked in the baking industry for the last 13 years. “The panchayat will erect a bus stop in front of your store, obstructing your view, if you work for the Bharatiya Janata Party. Additionally, if you start selling crackers during Vishu, people would come up to your booth to buy them, he claims.

In the countryside, people are preoccupied with their daily routines and the collapse of the rural economy has left the impoverished and small sellers with little opportunity to engage in political campaigning.

A seller named Satheesh claims, “The economy has come to a standstill with the arrival of migrant laborers.” “These laborers give the remaining money to their family, only spending it on necessities. We thus don’t have much business. Small sellers are being ensnared in a financial trap.

This was once a crimson fort, according to Mundoor resident Santhosh, who has been operating a bakery for more than ten years. However, things are gradually shifting. As one travels over the Ottapalam-Palakkad interior highways, light posts reserved by the CPM and RSS-VHP on opposite sides become visible. Still, democracy should be the fundamental motivation, isn’t that right?