The three major candidates contesting from Balussery Assembly constituency share the same opinion regarding the need to develop Balussery into a tourism destination. With well-known tourist spots such as Vayalada and Kakkayam in the constituency, the development of infrastructure is key and the new MLA has a lot to do on those lines.
In the fray in this traditional socialist stronghold are two of the youngest candidates in the State — Sachin Dev, State secretary of the Students’ Federation of India, and Libin Bhaskar of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, the entry of actor Dharmajan Bolgatty as the Congress candidate has put the rural constituency in the limelight.
Balussery has been a fortress of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) for the last 35 years and Mr. Dev is confident that the good name earned by his predecessors will come to his aid. “This constituency lacks nothing. All I have to do is continue the efforts made by my predecessor Purushan Kadalundy,” he said. Mr. Dev said the personal image of a candidate did not have any influence in the constituency and that his age did not matter as well. “Policies and ideologies are what matter here,” he said, adding that the voters did not raise any complaints during his campaign.
Mr. Dharmajan, meanwhile, has shed his image of a comedian to take up the responsibility of wresting the constituency from the LDF.
Hailing from Ernakulam, he is leaving no stone unturned to establish his dedication to the constituency. “This constituency is still 45 years behind the rest of the State. It needs comprehensive development,” he said, adding that drinking water and roads were his priority. “Many places is Balussery are apt for cinema shooting. The locations will be developed and the local people will benefit from it,” he said.
Mr. Bhaskar is banking on his familiarity with the constituency. “I am a familiar face here. Hence, I have a lot of contacts at a personal level, and that will come to my aid,” he said.
The lack of infrastructural development in Balussery is being highlighted by the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates to woo voters. “There are no industries here, and no opportunities of employment for the youth,” said Mr. Bhaskar, adding that none of the 146 Scheduled Caste colonies in the constituency had been adequately developed in the last 35 years, despite the constituency being an SC reservation constituency for the last 10 years.
