KOCHI: It's miserably wet weather early in the morning and the IMD has forecast rain through the day but Uma Thomas is all fired up. She and her entourage head for the colonies in the constituency and Uma is determined to meet as many voters there in person as possible. The reaction of ordinary people and the good words they often have to say about her late husband and former MLA, P T Thomas, is what drives her.
Uma along with a group of local Congress workers leave her Palarivattom home at around 7.30am for Shanthipuram Colony in Thammanam where she is welcomed by a group of women. One woman, aged around 60, recalls the efforts by P T Thomas to resolve the waterlogging issue of the colony. During the door-to-door visit, Uma also meets transgender activist Clara.
They chat up and Uma extends all support to the transgender community. It's pouring but in an hour Uma manages to meet each family of the colony directly. As per the campaign schedule, she has to visit Labour Colony in Thammanam after Shanthipuram Colony but the schedule gets changed and she leaves for Mount St Thomas, the official residence of Major Archbishop George Alencherry at Kakkanad.
When Uma reaches Kakkanad, senior party leaders Oommen Chandy, K C Joseph and Benny Behenan, MP, are waiting for her. Their private meeting with the archbishop is over in around 20 minutes and when they come out Uma and the other leaders look visibly upbeat.
Uma rmis back at Labour Colony in Thammanam at around 10.30am. The colony's streets are narrow and water-logged but Uma and around 20 UDF workers, including women, go door to door. Kishore, an artist, and his wife Ginitha are waiting in front of their home to welcome Uma. Kishore is excited as he shows her a wall painting he has done for the UDF campaign. Uma also meets 80-year-old Roselyn, who says she is an ardent supporter of UDF. The heavy rain continues when her visit to the colony concludes but Uma is not ready to rest. She reminds her team that autorikshaw workers in Palarivattom are waiting there to meet her. When asked about the bad weather, Uma replies matter of factly: "Rain is not a roadblock to my campaign. No one can achieve their aim without hard work".
At Palarivattom junction, a large group of autorikshaw workers are patiently waiting for her holding 'Vote for Uma' placards. While Uma is addressing the crowd, Shashi Tharoor, MP, arrives unexpectedly and joins the meeting.
As per the campaign programme, her tour in Thrikkakara west region, which is a stronghold of UDF, is scheduled to begin at 3pm from Judgemukku junction but it gets going only by 4.30pm. At Thrikakkara west, more Congress and IUML workers join in a vehicle rally comprising two-wheelers and four-wheelers. In Karoli Moola, Uma manages to interact with a group of women voters in the heavy rain. Children waiting along the suburban roads wave at her and UDF workers distribute sweets to them. At Kudilimukku at 5pm she interacts with another group of voters. After visiting Thoppil Nagar, B M Junction, Mabulli Parambu and Pipieline road, Uma calls it a day at Rajiv Nagar around 8.30pm. It's still raining but Uma hardly seems to have noticed.
