With one day left for the results of the Trikkakara assembly by-election on Friday, both the Congress and CPI(M) leaders have intensified in Kerala.
While many expected it to be the highest turnout ever since the constituency came into existence in 2011, however, when polling ended it turned out to be the lowest with 68.77 per cent.
On Wednesday, last-minute polling data was being analyzed by rival political fronts and at the end of the day, more smiles appeared on the faces of the CPI(M) leadership. The analysis showed that in Left bastions where voter turnout was more than 75 per cent, but in areas dominated by the Congress, the turnout was less than 60 per cent.
Elections became a necessity after the sudden demise of two-time Thrikkakara Congress MLA PT Thomas in December last year.
And even though Congress at first without any internal squabbles nominated Thomas’s widow – Uma Thomas – as its candidate and was the first to follow the campaign trail, the CPI-M went on to become an apolitical after some time. decided to. The Catholic Christian candidate, an interventional cardiologist – Joe Joseph, while the BJP decided to field its veteran – AN Radhakrishnan.
The lead in the campaign which almost ended with the Congress candidate, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan leading the campaign from the front, around 75 of his MLAs should not be spared and the entire Vijayan cabinet was kept in Thrikkakara, till the end of the campaign. last day.
Vijayan launched his campaign on the issue of development and portrayed the Congress as one against development. However, this did not show much enthusiasm among the voters. At the end of the campaign people raised the issue of a fake video against their candidate, and on polling day, police arrested a man they claimed was an activist of the Indian Union Muslim League, India’s second was the biggest ally. Congress led UDF.
Incidentally, one of the highlights of the by-election was the massive influx of election campaigns on social media and on Thursday it was a smear campaign against Uma.
“Whatever I do in the name of PT Thomas is my personal thing and I reject everything that has been said against me with the contempt that it deserves. We believe we are going to win and this increased hate campaign against me now is because they have realized what the outcome is going to be,” Uma said.
But Joseph, who on Thursday got back to his job of seeing heart patients at the private hospital here where he works, said he is resuming his duties.
“I didn’t want a day to be wasted, so I decided to go back to work. We are all confident and buzzing with activity in our camp. There seems to be a wave of mourning in the Congress camp. We are sure that We will hit a century with a six,” said Joseph.
BJP candidate Radhakrishnan, who by the end of voting said he would be the winner, but on Thursday said he would get more (over 15,000) votes than his party’s candidate in the 2021 April assembly polls.
And with only a few hours left to know who is the definitive winner for the traditional contestants, it is going to be a nail-biting end when the counting of votes begins at 8 a.m. on Friday.
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