The issues that affected the outcome of the last Assembly elections in Idukki are no longer in currency. An important factor this time is that the P.J. Joseph faction and the Jose K. Mani faction of the undivided Kerala Congress(M) are now part of rival coalitions.
While the Jose K. Mani faction moved to the Left Democratic Front (LDF), the P.J. Joseph faction remained with the United Democratic Front (UDF). The undivided Kerala Congress (M) had considerable influence among settler farmers in the district.
The plantation constituencies of Peerumade, Udumbanchola, and Devikulam with a large concentration of Tamil voters stood with the LDF in the last elections while the Kerala Congress (M) represented Idukki and Thodupuzha. The Congress had just a single member from Idukki in the last Assembly.
Panel reports
The Kasturirangan-Gadgil reports were raised in Assembly constituencies, especially in the high ranges, as the main poll issue in the last polls. However, after five years, these issues are on the back-burner and the district is going to the polls with the mainstream parties focussing on general issues and the development agenda they have put forward.
In the last Lok Sabha elections, the Western Ghats reports were a non-issue and it did not influence the electorate.
In 2014, the Kasturirangan committee recommended 37% of the Western Ghats be declared ecologically sensitive. Of the 123 villages within the ecologically sensitive area (ESA) limits, 48 were in Idukki. People in the region feared that it would deprive them of their basic rights over land and eventually they would be evicted.
Protests
The Idukki-based people’s movement High Range Samrakshana Samiti (HRSS) organised large-scale protests against the report. The HRSS is an umbrella organisation of various religious groups under the Church formed for the protection of farmers’ rights. Though formed as a non-political organisation, it soon gained political colour and won the Lok Sabha seat with the support of the LDF and successfully fielded candidates in the local body polls in 2015.
The HRSS is not in the frame in the coming Assembly elections. It also did not contest the recent local body elections.
District Congress Committee president Ibrahimkutty Kallar said the Congress would raise State- and district-level issues in the Assembly elections.
Farmers’ issues
“Farmers are facing many issues such as control over constructions, wild animal attacks, and buffer zone issues in areas bordering forests,” he said.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretary K.K. Jayachandran said the Western Ghats reports still had relevance in Idukki though they were out of the election scene now.
The LDF would raise developmental activities initiated by the State government and the recently announced ₹12,000-crore special package for the district.
