Amid the crowded streets near Kallara junction located in the Attingal constituency, stood a large group of headload workers, youngsters sporting “The Joy of Attingal” t-shirts and some women, braving the scorching sun. As V.Joy, the Left Democratic Front (LDF)‘s candidate made his way to the street corner in his campaign vehicle, the slogans grew louder and the party workers crowded around him, garlanding him and gifting him books and farm produce.
In an indication of how the news travels lightning fast during election season, the candidate speaks to the crowd of the latest claim being made by a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader of helping the Congress in the previous election. “No one will trust the Congress in this election,” says Joy, as he rattles off a list ranging from the party’s stand regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act to the large number of defections from Congress to BJP and sitting MP, Adoor Prakash’s performance. “Things are different this time. Factors which favoured Congress last time will not work now,” says Bhaskaran, a Kallara resident, a claim which is echoed by Mr.Joy too.
