NDA, UDF candidates file papers

Candidates of the Congress-led UDF and BJP-headed NDA on Monday filed their nomination papers for the by-election to be held on May 28 in Kerala’s Chengannur Assembly constituency even as the reluctance being shown by the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), second biggest constituent of the State NDA, for working for the BJP candidate is worrying the alliance.

UDF’s Congress candidate D Vijayakumar, a native of the constituency, and NDA nominee PS Sreedharan Pillai, former State BJP president, filed their papers before Returning Officer MV Suresh Kumar, Revenue Divisional Officer, Chengannur. Aam Aadmi Party candidate Rajeev Pallath also filed nomination on Monday.

CPI(M)-led LDF’s candidate Saji Cherian is expected to submit his nomination on Wednesday. The last date for filing nominations is May 10. A total of five candidates have so far filed nomination papers for the by-election, which has been necessitated by the death of CPI(M)’s sitting member KK Ramachandran Nair on January 14.

After filing his papers, Vijayakumar said, “The by-election in Chengannur is a referendum on the performances of the Centre and the Kerala Government. The people here will give a fitting reply with their votes to the anti-people policies of the Narendra Modi Government and the LDF regime headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.”

NDA candidate Sreedharan Pillai, who had increased the alliance’s vote-share to 42,682 in the 2016 election in Chengannur from a mere 6,062 in 2011, arrived at the office of the returning officer for filing his papers on Monday afternoon at the head of a demonstration. He was accompanied by State BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan and other leaders. “The NDA’s victory is certain,” Pillai said after filing his papers. He said many workers from other parties will ally with the NDA in coming days. “The NDA is totally united. The BDJS is a constituent of the NDA. No other party should even dream of winning their support. I am confident that they will work for us and vote for us,” he added..

Campaigning for the by-election, which had started several weeks ago and had reached a feverish pitch after the Election Commission announcing the schedule on April 26, has entered a crucial phase with all the three political fronts stepping up their efforts for canvassing votes with family meets and vehicle processions.

Meanwhile, the reluctance being shown by the BDJS, a political party of several majority community outfits in the State, for campaigning for the NDA candidate despite being its second biggest constituent, is continuing to worry the BJP which is hoping to transform the Chengannur by-election into its threshold to capturing power in the State.

The BDJS has been keeping itself away from the NDA affairs for the past several months, complaining indirectly that the BJP had failed to fulfill the promises it had made prior to the 2016 election. Rumours are that the BDJS has been expecting an MP’s post for its State president Thushar Vellappally and positions in certain Central boards and corporations.

However, Thushar is claiming that the BDJS’s reluctance in participating in the electioneering has nothing to do with parliamentary positions or posts in boards but it is all about the problems in the “alliance system” in the State. The BDJS is now expecting the Central leadership to solve the problems once the election in Karnataka is over.

Though the top State BJP leadership is expressing confidence that the BDJS will stand with the NDA in the by-poll, worries are being expressed by local leaders in Chengannur. “We hardly have three weeks now. Something must be done immediately to ensure the BDJS’s active support,” said a BJP leader in Mannar, Chengannur.

“All issues will be settled soon. A solution for the problems raised by the BDJS is being delayed only because the Central leadership is busy. The State BJP leadership has never shown any lack of interest in this matter,” said State BJP chief Kummanam, adding that the entire BDJS votes in Chengannur would fall into the kitty of Sreedharan Pillai.

Contrary to Thushar’s claims, many party insiders admit that its current stand is part of a pressure tactics. “Indeed it is pressure tactics. What is wrong in that? The BJP’s promises are more than two years’ old. Why can’t they fulfill it? They say Kerala is important to them. Then why this delay?” asked a top BDJS leader.