Kerala: Piravom bypoll a litmus test for UDF

KOCHI: The Piravom by-election is going to be a litmus test for the ruling UDF government, which is surviving on a slender majority in the 140-member Assembly. Being the first major trial for the Oommen Chandy government after it came to power in May 2011, the UDF is all out for winning the seat.

While the UDF government enjoys 70 seats in the Assembly, the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) has 68 members. The UDF has no option but to retain the Piravom constituency, the elections to which was necessitated after the death of Kerala Congress leader and minister T M Jacob.

The UDF government should have to retain the seat for Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to remain on top, as he himself had declared that the election would be a referendum on the performance of his government. Moreover, a loss for the UDF would lead to political uncertainty owing to the discontent among the smaller constituents, political observers said.

The rift between Forest Minister K B Ganesh Kumar and his father and party chairman R Balakrishna Pillai could play spoil sport for the UDF. There are also problems within the Kerala Congress (Mani), they said. It is learnt that the Socialist Janata (Democratic) of M P Veerendrakumar is also   dissatisfied. On the other hand, the Left camp is  intact with the only fear of NCP taking a wrong decision.  

UDF convenor P P Thankachan said that the government will not have any threat. “There will not be any uncertainty. We have the example of the Achutha Menon government, which had ruled the state with a slender majority,” he said.

The UDF and the LDF, which have officially kick- started the campaign on Friday, were prompt in announcing the candidates well before the poll dates were declared. The late T M Jacob’s son Anoop Jacob is the UDF candidate and M J Jacob is the LDF’s choice.

Both the fronts claim an upper hand in the constituency. However, the stand of the Jacobite Church is going to be a decisive factor. The Mullaperiyar issue, the price rise, various policies of the Centre, the palmolein case, the liquor policy, the nurses strike and the P C George issue are going to be the main poll planks in the elections.