Politics a key factor in Ambalappuzha

By A. Harikumar

ALAPPUZHA, APRIL 22. Despite the raging debate on the success and failure of the Industries Minister, Ms. Suseela Gopalan, in bringing about the development of Ambalappuzha constituency which she represents, it seems, politics would be the crucial factor in deciding the winner from this constituency where Mr. C. K. Sadasivan of the CPI(M) faces Mr. D. Sugathan of the Congress.

From the day of its formation till date, the constituency had elected candidates from both fronts though the Left had a slight edge. In the last two elections, the LDF candidates had won from this constituency.

Though in the 1996 parliamentary elections, the LDF candidate, Mr. T. J. Anchalose, had secured a lead of around 3,500 from this constituency, in the last elections to Parliament, Mr. Sudheeran of the UDF had a lead of more than 3,500 votes against his rival Mr. Murali.

Of the seven panchayats in the constituency, five are ruled by the LDF and two by the UDF. The constituency which includes the coastal panchayats of Purakkad, Punnapra North and South and Kuttanad villages Kainakary and Takazhi has a sizeable number of fishermen, agricultural labourers and farmers who may tilt the balance.

Though home to stalwarts of Kerala politics like Mr. V. S. Achuthanandan, the voters of the constituency had never been awed by the big names. In the 1965 elections, at the time of split in the Communist party, the doyen of the Communist movement in Alappuzha, Mr. R. Sugathan (CPI) had to bite the dust here by finishing a poor fourth.

In 1977 Assembly elections, Mr. Achuthanandan who had earlier won twice form here consecutively was defeated by Mr. K. K. Kumara Pillai. Another top CPI(M) leader, Mr. P. K. Chandranandan, was humbled in 1982 by Mr. V. Dinakaran of the DLP.

In all these elections, the constituency voted with the general trend. This time, during the initial phases, the CPI(M) candidate, Mr. Sadasivan, had a clear edge in the campaign by starting the work earlier.

Besides, the Congress was late to announce its candidate but Mr. Sugathan was catching up now.

Mr. Sadasivan had earlier won from this constituency. But in the last elections, the party had denied him the seat. Mr. Sugathan was yet to win an election but has the support of the SNDP Yogam, this time, which might fetch him some Ezhava votes. But caste may not matter much here as both the candidates are from the same community.

On the development works initiated in the constituency in the last five years, Mr. Sadasivan highlights the development works being done at the Medical College at Vandanam.

He points out that the work on the 1,200-bed hospital is progressing.

The other development works initiated by the LDF Government in the constituency, according to Mr. Sadasivan, are the Rs. 12- crore project to prevent soil erosion, the Rs. 8-crore programme aimed at the development of agricultural sector.

According to Mr. Sadasivan, during the last 10 years more development work had been initiated in the constituency than what had been done in the previous years taken together.

Mr. Sugathan alleged that the present Government had not started a single industry in Ambalappuzha constituency, represented by the Industries Minister, in the last five years.

He says that the promise of the LDF to start a Government college at Ambalappuzha had not been fulfilled.

According to Mr. Sugathan the credit of the development works completed in the constituency when Mr. Sadasivan was the MLA, in fact, goes to the UDF Government which ruled the State then.

He vowed to complete the Smritivanam programme promised by the earlier UDF Government.

According to Mr. Sugathan, Communists won from this constituency by using strong-arm tactics but he vowed to prevent it at any cost this time.

The BJP has not put up candidate in this constituency. Last time, the party had secured 2,800 votes. The BJP votes may be crucial in this constituency where the lead of the winning candidate is not much.

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Section  : State Elections
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