With a visible surge in voter turnout, both the fronts seem confident about the electoral outcome in Kollam, one of the most closely watched constituencies in Kerala.
While the United Democratic Front (UDF) finds many factors in their favour, starting from the Rahul Gandhi effect, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is pinning their hopes on the consolidation of secular and minority votes. The constituency recorded an increase of 2.33 percentage points in the overall voting percentage compared to 2014, with Chavara, Kunadra, and Kollam crossing 75%. “Chavara, which we consider a party stronghold, has recorded the highest polling percentage in Kollam. Even otherwise, we have no confusion as the entire Kerala had witnessed the Rahul Gandhi wave. It’s for the first time that our State is getting a Prime Minister candidate. It will definitely reflect in the poll results and we are expecting a margin of 50,000 to one lakh,” says Kollam District Congress Committee president Bindu Krishna.
UDF candidate and Kollam’s sitting MP N.K. Premachadran says the anti-people policies of the Centre and State governments had already generated a pro-UDF air in Kerala. “For the voters, it was their chance to mark their protest and I believe they did their part.” He adds that this time the contest was less tight compared to 2014 when he was fighting Communist Party of India (Marxist) stalwart M.A. Baby. “Last time, I had to face many challenges, mainly stemming from the crossover to another front. But this time, everything was smoother and I am looking forward to a good margin,” Mr. Premachadran says.
Intense campaigning
Meanwhile, the LDF camp in Kollam is equally upbeat and is very quick to point out that the UDF had lost Chavara, their so-called bastion, in the last Assembly elections. “The rise in polling percentage will be an advantage for us. The LDF is very strong in all Assembly segments with the highest number of votes, including Punalur, Chadayamangalam, and Chathannur. We are confident about the outcome and are expecting a good majority in almost all the seven segments,” says S. Sudevan, CPI(M) district secretary.
LDF candidate K.N. Balagopl attributes the rise in polling percentage to the intense campaigning and the critical political situation of the country. “Voters of Kerala are aware of the fact that only the Left can resist the invasion of communal forces. Add to it the performance of the LDF government and its strong secular policies. In Kollam, we could also prove that the UDF-BJP alliance was not a baseless allegation and it has strengthened our credibility. I believe the voters will definite choose the LDF,” he says.