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Journalism of Courage
For the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, the Congress’s win in the Puthuppally Assembly bypoll is a major setback. The party, which leads the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the state, will find it difficult to seek solace in the refrain that the Congress has merely retained a seat that has been its pocket borough since 1970, riding on a sympathy wave after the death of party veteran Oommen Chandy.
Soon after the by-election schedule had been declared, CPI(M) state secretary and party Politburo member M V Govindan had stated that the Puthuppally contest would be a referendum on the party’s regime, led by Pinarayi Vijayan. What has shocked the CPI(M) is the massive margin by which former CM Oommen Chandy’s son Chandy Oommen defeated its candidate Jaick C Thomas, who had been handpicked from Chandy’s turf and had contested against Chandy Sr twice in the past.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself led the LDF campaign, turning up at the constituency thrice and attending conventions in all eight village panchayats. That apart, many of his Cabinet colleagues and senior CPI(M) leaders were involved in micro-level campaigning at Puthuppally.
On Friday, Govindan said: “The party will examine the result, which can’t be considered a referendum on the state government. The verdict is not against the government. The sympathy wave in the wake of Oommen Chandy’s death played a major role in the Congress win. The LDF base in the constituency is strong and intact. Despite the sympathy factor, our candidate bagged 42,000-odd votes.”
Govindan also claimed that the UDF candidate gained from the considerable fall in BJP votes.
The LDF’s about rewriting Puthuppally’s electoral history stemmed from the fact that it saw an opening after Oommen Chandy’s demise, given its strong footing in the constituency where its constituent parties control six out of the eight panchayats. Jaick is also a familiar face in the seat. Moreover, the Kerala Congress (M), a local party with Christian support that has some sway in the constituency, was also in the LDF camp. However, its promise turned out to be empty. Even in panchayats where the KCM is strong, Chandy Jr took a clear lead.
Ultimately, the CPI(M) managed to get only 32.64% of votes polled, against 61.21% for the Congress.
This is the second bypoll setback for the CPI(M) since 2021. Last year, the Congress had retained its Thrikkakara Assembly seat in a by-election.
The CPI(M) had set development as the main agenda for its Puthuppally campaign, projecting the seat as a region that had lost pace with the state’s march towards development under the LDF. The highlight of the campaign was poor infrastructure facilities and basic amenities in the constituency. Meanwhile, the Congress played up the personal attention and aid that the former CM had brought to the people of the constituency.
The attacks on Chandy and his sister Achu Oommen, particularly over her sartorial choices, by pro-CPI(M) social handles also appear to have backfired on the party. While Thomas’s wife also faced attacks, the impression that had gained ground by the end of campaigning was that the CPI(M) was carrying out a personal campaign against the Chandy family. Days ahead of polling, a court accepted a CBI report exonerating Chandy Sr in the solar scandal of 2013, adding to the sympathy wave for the Congress.
Of late, the CPI(M) has tried to get closer to different religious groups in the state, particularly the upper caste Nair community outfit, the Nair Service Society, which had been irked by a comment by CPI(M) leader and Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer that Lord Ganesha is a myth. While the Chandy family follows the Orthodox Christian Church, Jaick is from ist rival Jacobite sect. In previous polls, Jaick got the backing of the Jacobite community, but this time, even they appear to have put their weight behind Chandy Jr.
