As kick-off began for the April 6 Assembly polls in Kerala on Friday, poll observers in the State are of the view that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has a slight edge over the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front.
Veteran scribe and author P Rajan, who led Mathrubhumi daily’s editorial team for four decades and continues writing and commenting on political and social issues, is of the view that events in the last one week witnessed by the State have cast an uncertainty over the poll prospects of the LDF.
“Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself had to announce the cancellation of the MoU signed with the US based EMCC, a dubious company and the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation for deep sea fishing. Similarly, the ongoing agitation by rank holders of the Kerala Public Service Commission for appointment in Government service and the goofing up of the way the administration treated the job seekers too will play a significant role in coming days,” said Rajan.
He said he does not expect a sweep by the UDF which was witnessed during the Lok Sabha election. The UDF had won all but one seat in the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies from the State. “The situation has changed because the minorities which voted en masse for the Congress hoping that the party would regain the power which it lost in 2014 have understood that the Grand Old Party is no more the same entity. The CPI(M) has said that it made a mistake in handling the Sabarimala temple issue, dear to all Hindus in the State,” said Rajan.
N Prasanth, the managing director of KSINC, who has been alleged by the chief minister and J Mercykutty, the fisheries minister, of signing the deal with the US company for deep sea fishing, created a sensation when he warned all that he would not take it lying down. “I will disclose all details associated with the signing of the MoU at the right time,” he had told reporters on Friday.
Hari Kartha, senior scribe and commentator, is of the view that Wednesday night’s murder of RSS leader Nandhu by SDPI activists at Alapuuzha has upset Hindus all over the State. “What I understand is that though the police was presemt in the spot, they did not do anything to save the victim from the attack,” he said.
The LDF’s war cry during the 2016 assembly election was it would make set everything right. “Now the media blitzkrieg unleashed by the Public Relations Department at a cost of Rs 800 crore claims the LDF would correct all mistakes. Isn't it an indirect way of accepting that they were a failure?” asks Rajan.
Though the CPI(M) claims it has made “impressive win” in the local body election held in December 2020, there are factors which may derail the applecart. “Organisations like Twenty 20 and V for Kochi, which contested the local body election, are an indication that the educated class in the State is not happy with the present system of LDF and UDF. This could play a major role in carving out a new politics in the State now that E Sreedharan, the iconic engineer has joined the BJP,” opined Rajan.
At the time of going to Press, it is UDF that leads the race by a whisker. But there are 39 days remaining for the long-whistle.
