After days of indecision and hectic parleys, the battle lines for a triangular fight have been drawn at Puthuppally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announcing G. Lijin Lal as its candidate for the byelection.
The name of Mr. Lal, president of the BJP Kottayam district committee, was announced by the party’s central leadership on Monday along with the candidates to six other constituencies where byelections are to be held soon.
Unfazed by the delayed beginning, the BJP is now looking to hit the ground running to catch up with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF), who had declared their candidates earlier. The party’s election strategy is to focus primarily on the development projects and welfare schemes rolled out by the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre.
“There are several people in the constituency who have benefited from the welfare and development schemes initiated by the Narendra Modi government. We will definitely get their support,” Mr. Lal told mediapersons.
The party will also seek to use the allegations of various Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Congress leaders receiving kickbacks from a mineral company to its advantage. It also expects to benefit from the fight between the Nair Service Society (NSS) and the Left Democratic Front government over the myth controversy. By fielding a Nair community member as its candidate, the party also counts on a consolidation of Hindu votes.
During the previous Assembly election, the BJP had secured only 11,694 votes in the constituency while in 2016 it could secure 15,993 votes. Among the key challenges faced by the party include a perceived dissatisfaction within its rank and file over a sidelining of its seasoned workers.
Meanwhile, UDF candidate Chandy Oommen and LDF candidate Jaick C. Thomas took out a tour across the constituency during the day. Later in the day, All India Congress Committee general secretary K.C. Venugopal inaugurated an election convention of Mr. Oommen at Pampady. All top leaders of the Congress-led coalition attended the event.
Addressing the convention, Mr. Venugopal sought to highlight the development projects initiated by the late Oommen Chandy such as Smart City, Kochi Metro, Vizhinjam Port etc., during his tenure as Chief Minister. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan presided over the event.
