Kerala - Alappuzha

A coastline constituency Delimitation impact

ALAPPUZHA: Post-delimitation, the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency seems to have a political geography that can intensify electoral battles between the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) rather than stir up one-sided fights.

For a major part of the polling history here since 1957, it has been the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) that had called the shots. Even in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, when K.S. Manoj of the CPI(M), a political novice, trounced the Congress veteran V.M. Sudheeran, many believed that it was not the communal or political backing for Dr. Manoj but the failure of the UDF in engineering its campaign properly that ensured his victory.

But now, after the boundaries of the constituency have been redrawn, the two parties believe that they are on an equal footing. With the inclusion of Kayamkulam and Karunagapally, both Left strongholds, to the constituency, the CPI(M) believes that it will be able to repeat its success in a much more convincing way in the next Lok Sabha elections. The UDF believes that though it might have to fight a little harder than usual, victory will be its own.

The Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency has now become an entirely coastal one. With Kuttanad going to the Mavelikara constituency and Kayamkulam and Karunagapally coming in, there are few agricultural pockets. The other main areas are Aroor, Cherthala, Haripad and Ambalappuzha, all on the coast. The Alappuzha and Haripad Assembly constituencies are with the UDF.

The impact of delimitation, therefore, the Congress and the CPI(M) say, will be that the coastal people have the decisive say in the elections.

“All the tsunami-affected areas are now under one constituency. The LDF’s failure in tsunami rehabilitation will certainly turn the tide against them,” says District Congress Committee president A.A. Shukoor. And the stand-off with the Latin Catholic Church, which had organised protests against the LDF on tsunami-fund utilisation and criticised Dr. Manoj, who is from the community, continues.

“I do not think there will be any more complaints. The government is progressing fast on rehabilitation. No other government has done so much for the fisheries sector. “Traditional sectors such as coir and cashew too are being uplifted by our government. The proposed fishermen’s debt relief Bill and insurance schemes for fishermen will all work in the CPI(M)’s favour only,” Dr. Manoj says.

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