Left stormed UDF citadel with ace comedian, eyes an encore

KOCHI: In 2014, Chalakudy, a central Travancore constituency, carved from regions considered a

UDF citadel

, turned to the Left riding the popularity of Innocent, an ace comedian with a rustic tongue.


Gift of the gab, the ability to communicate to the voters in their language and the consideration for a person who battled cancer had given Innocent an edge over P C Chacko, who shifted his base from Thrissur in the last minute and was hence considered a migratory bird.

Innocent had clear lead in four out of seven assembly constituencies in Chalakkudy that gave him victory margin of 13,884 votes. His vote share was lesser than P C Chacko’s only in three: Chalakudy (54,622), Aluva (47,639) and Angamaly (49,509). Innocent bagged 40.5% of the total polled votes while his rival clocked close to 40%: A narrow bridge that is not impossible to cross for Benny Behanan, the UDF convenor, who is taking him on.

Till 2008, the year when Chalakudy constituency was formed after dissolving Mukundapuram, it was considered a UDF bastion. One year after delimitation, the constituency was won by K P Dhanapalan of the UDF. In 2016, the Chalakudy assembly constituency chose to stay with the Left re-electing B D Devassy of the CPM. In 2014, Idukki

Lok Sabha

constituency, considered to be pro-UDF because of Christian voters who have traditionally backed them had also elected LDF-supported independent candidate Joyce George.

The factors that secured win for Innocent, the first personality from the film field to do so in Lok Sabha polls, in 2014 have however changed. The CPM had faced internal opposition over its decision to field him again. The Chalakudy parliamentary committee, which wanted the party to consider either P Rajeeve or Saju Paul, was of the view that Innocent does not have the edge he had over P C Thomas last year. Innocent, who is not in the pink of health had hinted in an article that he does not desire a contest.

The party state committee ironed out the differences by asking Innocent to enter the hustings under the party symbol. Innocent is banking on the development he brought to the constituency, especially in the health sector, as a factor that has brought him close to the people. Innocent, in a bid to secure Ezhava votes, considered to be an influencing factor in Chalakudy, met Vellappally Natesan ahead of the campaign.

Benny Behanan’s camp is confident that the negatives that went against P C Chacko, who replaced K P Dhanapalan, do not exist now. It is believed that Behanan, a Jacobite, would have the support of the faction despite the perception that across the state they would be supporting LDF candidates. The Welfare Party of India, whose candidate had received over 12,000 in 2014 polls, too have pledged its support to UDF this time.

The Aam Aadmi Party, whose candidate K M Noordeen, secured over 35,000 votes, does not have a candidate and a good percentage of these votes are likely to shift to the UDF. But Twenty20 in Kizhakkambalam, which wanted to field DGP Jacob Thomas, who has applied for voluntary retirement, has around 20,000 votes in the constituency, has the potential to hurt Behanan.

The BJP, whose candidate B Gopalakrishnan, who polled 10.5% of the votes in 2014 is optimistic that the polarisation could result in surge of votes for A N Radhakrishnan, general secretary of the party in Kerala. The party, which is employing ‘Page Pramukh’ strategy of deputing a worker for voters in one page of electoral roll, feels that appreciation for Narendra Modi’s developmental agenda and Sabarimala would drive disgruntled voters from both LDF and UDF to their camp.