K.C. Venugopal fought his first election when he was 13, as a high school student, against the CPI(M)-affiliated SFI’s candidate. After numerous electoral battles over the next five decades — from college and university levels to the State Assembly and the Lok Sabha, KCV — as he is called — is facing the most unique electoral contest of his lifetime. He is in the battlefield to win the lone seat that the CPI(M) had won in Kerala in 2019, Alappuzha, even as he continues to coordinate a national alliance against the BJP that includes his principal rival in the State. He is General Secretary (Organisation) — GSO — of the Congress. This battle between the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) for the 20th seat in Kerala says a lot about the challenges before the Opposition alliance. What is between the Left and the Congress could be termed a political situationship. And the BJP is trying to make an entry into Kerala by portraying the Left and the Congress as opportunistic.
The UDF and the LDF are constantly at daggers drawn in the State, but the last week to the polling on 26th is turning out to be bitter for the frenemies. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi — whose candidacy from Wayanad in the State is also a point of acrimony — and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan have personally crossed swords. In the eye of the storm as the key Congress strategist, KCV tries to remain unfazed.
“Party workers wanted me to contest, and I cannot say no to the same people who had elected me earlier from Alappuzha,” Mr. Venugopal explained his reason for contesting the Lok Sabha even though he is a member of the Rajya Sabha. “I am contesting only because Congress workers insisted,” he said even as he hopped from a convent to a temple, making quick stops at the homes of a few local influencers and at the market. Campaigning is at a furious pitch, but aides kept extending phones, going down a long list of people that they carried — party colleagues, alliance partners and journalists from across the country. “I am dividing my time between national affairs and local campaign,” he said, expressing relief that he would be free from his own contest by the end of the week. “People like you and support you, but it is unthinkable that any candidate in Kerala can win without intensive campaigning,” he said. “As of now, I dash to Delhi as and when required. After the second phase, my focus will shift to national politics completely.”
