Political parties in Kerala are staring at two byelections that nobody wanted. The Election Commission has announced that bypolls to Chavara and Kuttanad constituencies will be held in November.
Besides the surge in COVID-19 cases, the fact that the state is going to have the assembly elections within five months after the bypolls is the main dampener. No political party had expected the bypolls now as the assembly elections are due in May 2021. State election commissioner Teeka Ram Meena also had suggested that the bypolls were unlikely amid the pandemic.
While the bypolls are expected to cost the exchequer around Rs 20 crore, the newly-elected MLAs will be able to attend maximum one assembly session.
“The new MLAs will get barely four months to perform their duty. But since the EC has taken the decision, they may have considered all these factors,'' Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said when asked about the government's stand on this.
Kuttanad assembly seat fell vacant following the death of NCP MLA Thomas Chandy while Chavara seat has been vacant since the death of CPI(M) MLA Vijayan Pillai.
Though reluctant, the ruling and opposition fronts are rolling up their sleeves to get ready for the bypolls. As both Kuttanad and Chavara were sitting seats of the LDF, the ruling front will lose its face if it loses any of them.
Chavara, a traditional stronghold of the RSP, was captured by the Left candidate in the last election. So it will be a prestige issue for the UDF to re-capture it.
“The UDF will come back with a huge majority There are strong undercurrents in Chavara favouring the UDF and Shibu (RSP leader Shibu Baby John) is a leader who is always visible among the people of this constituency,'' said Kollam DCC president Bindu Krishna. It is all likely that John will be contesting from Chavara.
The LDF is likely to field a candidate from the CPI(M).
Kuttanad, the other constituency, however offers a very volatile picture. While the LDF will be fielding a candidate from the NCP, the UDF is struggling to find an amicable face. The constituency, which has been earmarked for Kerala Congress (M), is now a picture of mess as the the party has split and both the warring factions—led by P.J. Joseph and Jose K. Mani—have staked claims to it. The decision taken by the UDF in this matter will be crucial in deciding the future of these rival political groups.
Kerala Congress (M) leader and MLA Roshi Augustine said that Jose K. Mani has the power to decide the candidate as the election commission has allotted the party symbol to their faction. However, Joseph said that the UDF had already decided in his favour. A final decision in this regard is expected to be taken in the next UDF meeting.
The current Kerala Assembly's term would expire on May 19, 2021.
