The huge victory posted by United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Dean Kuriakose in Idukki in his second straight political contest in the hilly constituency may mark the decline of a political alliance that was forged on environmental issues.
Mr. Kuriakose took revenge on his rival and LDF candidate Joice George, the legal advisor of High Range Samrakshana Samiti, an NGO which spearheaded the campaigns against the Madhav Gadgil-led Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), by bagging a victory that was laced with an impressive margin of 1,71,053 votes. The Samiti is led by a priest, Fr. Sebastian Kochupurakkal.
During the 2014 general elections, when the issues related to the ecology of the region dominated the political scene, Mr. George had trounced Mr. Kuriakose by a margin of 50,542 votes. That time, the electoral battle was waged in an atmosphere that was charged with environmental issues related to the Western Ghats, especially the marking of ecologically sensitive zones, as defined by the WGEEP.
Environmental concerns about the hilly region continued to rock the State following the report of the High Level Working Group on Western Ghats by a team led by Kasturirangan.
Sensing the political potential of the issues that touched the lives of hundreds of farmers and the settlers of Idukki and the apprehensions created by the WGEEP report, the LDF was quick to forge an alliance with the Samiti, a vociferous opponent of panel report. Though the political gamble that the Left front took in 2014 yielded the expected dividend, it has backfired on both the alliance and the Samiti this time.
Incidentally, Mr. George and some of his family members were embroiled in controversies regarding illegal possession of land in Kottakambur Village, which was part of the Nilakurunji Wildlife Sanctuary, during his term as a Member of Parliament.
Though no one expects Mr. Kuriakose to take a U-turn on the ecological policies regarding the Western Ghats and the Kasturirangan report, his win could redefine the contours of political landscape of the constituency where the church and its affiliates play a significant role.
Despite the humiliating defeat, the Samiti leadership has put up a brave face and attributed the loss to a combination of factors like the candidature of Congress president Rajiv Gandhi in the State, the resolve of the minorities, including Christians and Muslims, to vote for the Congress and the Sabarimala issue.
It was not the policies of the Samiti, said Fr. Sebastian Kochupurakkal, but some other factors that culminated in the defeat of Mr. George. The policies of Samiti regarding WGEEP and Kasturirangan reports would remain unchanged and would not be affected by the poll outcome, he said.