The byelection to the Kuttanad Assembly constituency in November will be a litmus test for the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF). Although the exact date of the bypolls to Kuttanad and Chavara constituencies is yet to be announced, all major political fronts are gearing up for the electoral battle, to be held barely four months before the expected issuance of notification for the State Assembly polls.
The Kuttanad seat fell vacant after the death of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Thomas Chandy in December 2019. The bypoll was delayed due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
For the LDF, retaining Kuttanad is a matter of prestige. The NCP, which will contest on behalf of the LDF, is all likely to field Thomas K. Thomas, brother of Thomas Chandy. The LDF, which is well aware that a defeat will put the controversy-hit State government in a further quagmire, will do everything in its capacity to win the seat. A victory, on the other hand, will be seen as a morale booster before the Assembly elections in 2021.
In the UDF, the Joseph faction of the Kerala Congress (M) has already laid claim to the seat. However, a section in the Congress is demanding to take the seat back given the issues in the KC(M). “In 2016, the Kerala Congress (M) had contested from Kuttanad. The party is now split into two groups. Only the faction led by P.J. Joseph is currently in the UDF while the faction led by Jose K. Mani is kept away, which makes candidate selection a non-issue. However, if Jose and those with him are to re-enter the UDF, things will change,” a senior Congress leader said.
KC(M) leader and MLA N. Jayaraj said the Joseph faction could not field someone in Kuttanad as a KC(M) candidate. “They (Joseph faction) can field a candidate and contest in the bypoll as an independent. Party chairman Jose K. Mani will decide who will contest in Kuttanad in the party symbol,” Mr. Jayaraj said.
While it is largely expected to be a direct contest between the LDF and the UDF in Kuttanad, the bypoll will also be a challenge to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). In 2016, NDA candidate Subash Vasu of the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) had polled 33,044 votes in the constituency. However, Mr. Vasu was ousted from the party and is leading a rebellion against the BDJS and the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam leadership.
In the 2016 Assembly polls, Thomas Chandy defeated United Democratic Front candidate Jacob Abraham of the KC(M) by 4,891 votes.
