Closely-fought elections are scarcely a new theme in Parassala, the Assembly segment which hugs Tamil Nadu at the southern end of Thiruvananthapuram district.
The April 6 polls are not likely to be any different in this constituency which has, over the decades, swung between the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also is jostling for space in Parassala where C. K. Hareendran of the CPI(M) won the 2016 elections, defeating A. T. George of the Congress by 18,566 votes.
In 2016, Mr. Hareendran had won 70,156 votes and Mr. George - who represented the constituency in 2011 - 51,590. Karamana Jayan of the BJP trailed in third spot with 33,028 votes.
Development, especially on the farm and infrastructure fronts, will be a key poll plank for the fronts in this rural constituency. Over the decades, caste equations have played a decisive role in Parassala, which, incidentally, has the highest number of voters in the district at a little over 2.15 lakh (1.03 lakh males, 1.12 lakh females) as per the final voters list published on January 20. (The numbers are likely to change once the supplementary list is out.)
After the delimitation exercise some years ago, the constituency comprises Amboori, Aryancode, Kallikkad, Kollayil, Kunnathukal, Ottasekharamangalam, Parassala, Perumkadavila and Vellarada grama panchayats.
Never content with any one front for long, Parassala has been the venue of many a pitched election battle. The constituency chose the Congress in 1957 when Kunjukrishnan Nadar M. defeated Krishna Pillai K. of the PSP. Mr. Nadar won the 1960 elections, but this time as an Independent, defeating Thangayyan of the CPI. In 1965 and 1967, N. Gamaliel claimed Parassala for the Congress.
Parassala swerved ‘Left’ in 1970 when M. Sathyanesan of the CPI(M) defeated N. Sundaran Nadar of the Congress. But Sathyanesan could not repeat the feat in 1977. He lost to M. Kunjukrishnan Nadar of the Congress by 13,401 votes, and to N. Sundaran Nadar in the 1980 elections.
Mr. Sundaran Nadar of the Congress won again in 1982, defeating V. J. Thankappan of the CPI(M). Parassala swung ‘Left’ again in 1987 with M. Sathyanesan emerging victorious. M. R. Raghu Chandra Bal reclaimed the constituency for the Congress in 1991.
Mr. Sundaran Nadar won in 1996 and 2001. In 2006, Parassala was claimed by R. Selvaraj of the CPI(M), and A. T. George of the Congress in 2011.