LDF's Ansalan bets on development as campaign enters next phase

NEYYATTINKARA: With hardly two weeks remaining for the assembly elections, candidates of the three fronts of Neyyattinkara are equally confident of victory. Despite the sweltering heat, campaigning has picked up pace and the candidates are busy meeting voters to ensure their support. 

After a hectic Sunday, LDF candidate and sitting MLA K Ansalan has chosen weekdays to meet prominent persons. On Monday and Tuesday, he travelled to Perumbazhuthoor, Chenkal, Neyyattinkara town, Kulathoor and Karode panchayats to meet local leaders as well as the farmers in the rural fringes. As part of Covid-19 protocol, Ansalan was accompanied by only two persons. His campaign will enter the next phase with the vehicle rally beginning on Thursday. 

Ansalan pointed to five years of ‘relentless’ work in every nook and cranny of the constituency, which would seal his victory a second time. “I was a new face in 2016 when I entered the poll fray. I am a native of Neyyattinkara town and I used to be unfamiliar with places like Kulathoor, Karode and Chenkal. But now, the people of the rural parts are more affectionate towards me due to the development projects I have initiated.

The rural parts of Neyyattinkara had never witnessed basic infrastructure development prior to 2016. However, I made a significant change by developing all the roads with financial support from KIIFB. Now, no one can see a road with potholes in my constituency. Similarly, I have taken the initiative to set up facilities like a dialysis unit and blood bank at the Neyyattinkara general hospital. My aim is to propel the institution into a super speciality hospital where the poor can avail world-class care. With MLA funds and the support of the government, I have renovated all the schools and PHCs,” the MLA said. 

After meeting key voters at their houses, UDF candidate R Selvaraj toured fifty-odd ‘pappadam’ manufacturing units at Venpakal in Athiyannoor panchayat. He chose to meet them after proposing welfare measures for the labourers here who have been struggling for decades. Selvaraj promised to give a facelift to the pappadam units if he won and the UDF government would come to power. 

Selvaraj told TNIE that Neyyattinkara has not seen any progress in social and economic development in the last five years. “There is no development. The sitting MLA is heading corrupt practices. He had completed work on a few bus shelters for namesake. The constituency is still backward in terms of social and economic development. So UDF can only make the development happen here,” he said. When asked about the rumour mill that he was fielded over the insistence of the Church, he retorted that it is a claim made by vested interests. 

Meanwhile, the NDA candidate and businessman-turned-politician Chenkal S Rajasekharan Nair is focusing on temple festivals and a door-to-door campaign at Athiyannoor, Neyyattinkara town and Karode panchayat. He met devotees who took part in the pongala ritual at the Mulayanthanni devi temple at Venpakal. Being the owner of popular hotel Uday Samudra at Kovalam, Rajasekharan aims to develop village tourism in the rural parts of the constituency. He also stresses to propel Neyyattinkara into an education hub. 

The BJP candidate also pitches to woo the Nair voters of the constituency as the UDF and LDF candidates are from Nadar communities. 

Caste equation 
Caste-based votes became a crucial factor ever since delimitation process brought the panchayats of Kulathoor, Chenkal and Karode under the Neyyattinkara constituency from Parassala. 

Over the past decade, the chances of winning has depended on the polarisation of Nadar voters even though the constituency has a good number of Nair voters.