Lok Sabha polls 2019: Kerala’s killing fields see intense battle between Cong, CPI(M)

Vadakara in Kozhikode district in north Kerala is the ground of one of the most high-voltage battles between the CPI(M) and the Congress where political killings may play a decisive role. The CPI(M) is hoping to regain lost ground here and the Congress wishes to retain its seat. It is one of those seats no one is willing to call yet.

The constituency, which is known to be part of the political killing fields of Kerala, was the ground of TP Chandrasekharan who was hacked to death in 2012. Chandrasekharan was a Left worker who, owing to differences, had broken away from the CPI(M) and formed the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) in 2009. He was based in Onchiyam at Vadakara. After his death, his wife KK Rama heads the party and she has thrown her weight behind the Congress.

The CPI(M) has fielded P Jayarajan here and he is an accused in this murder along with three other CPI(M) workers. Additionally, the candidate is an accused in two other murder cases - that of Indian Muslim Youth League worker Ariyil Abdul Shukoor in 2012 and of RSS worker Kathiroor Manoj in 2014.

This time, after some deliberation, the Congress has fielded son of former Kerala CM K Karunakaran, K Muraleedharan, who is known to have universal appeal in the constituency. He had earlier won the Assembly election from Kozhikode district. The announcement of Muraleedharan as the candidate has put to rest the factionalism and groupism within the Congress in the region and has also energised the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) workers who have considerable presence in the region.

As a result of being politically restive, the region has been electing Congress candidates. The sitting MP of the constituency is the Congress’ Mullapally Ramachandran who had won the election in both 2009 and 2014. And before that, in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Jayarajan’s sister P Sathidevi, a well-known name and face in Vadakara, had defeated K Muraleedharan’s sister Padmaja Venugopal from the same constituency.

“I am not sure who will win. The CPI(M)’s entire party machinery from Kannur is here to ensure the win of Jayarajan. It is a matter of prestige for them. As a result of political violence, they had lost ground after 2009 and the Congress has been winning,” says Rajesh S, who runs a restaurant in Vadakara.

“Many women are against Jayarajan. There are many families who have been victims to political violence. They have lost much. There are many cases against Jayarajan too. I am not sure who will win. I can’t say Jayarajan will lose,” contends Saraswati who works in one of the shops along Vadakara-Villiappally road.

“Muraleedharan will win. This is an election against political killings. I know violence from close quarters. My husband Chandrasekharan was killed in such a way. RMP has decided to support the UDF candidate. Women are against such violence and that is the emotion on the streets. It is true that the CPI(M) has a better campaigning machinery. You will see Jayarajan’s posters all over. Their workers have been brought from Kannur and Kothuparambu to canvas for him, but that doesn’t mean he will win,” highlighted KK Rama.

She goes on to add that this election is to change the government at the Centre. “What can the Left do? Voting for the Congress means voting for better and secular politics,” explains Rama.

But the LDF’s ground support is immense. “Even Jayarajan was a victim of political violence. He was also attacked. That is not the major issue. This election is against the BJP,” says a barber who did not want to be identified.

Countering it is Sajeer, a local political activist. “The announcement of Muraleedharan has energised the local rank and file of the Congress and the IUML. There are some areas which may go to Jayarajan, but people will vote against political violence. There are many families who have suffered. What is the point of voting for the Left? They don’t have much of a national leverage. It is important to vote out the communal BJP government,” explains Sajeer.

The BJP candidate is VK Sajeevan who is not even a talking point in this two-way battle. He was the saffron party’s candidate in 2014 elections too.

The incumbent MP, Mullapally Ramachandran, had won by a margin of over 50,000 votes in 2009, but his victory margin had dropped to 3,306 votes in 2014. This time he did not want to contest.

Vadakara consists of the Assembly constituencies of Kuttiadi, Nadapuram, Perambra, Koyilandy, Thalassery and Vadakara. Except for Kuttiyadi, in the 2016 Assembly elections, the LDF had a majority in all the Assembly constituencies.