It’s not just the excitement over a direct battle between the Kerala Congress factions or the chaotic political atmosphere triggered by a crisis in the natural rubber sector that is to blame for the uncertainty gripping Kottayam this time.
Instead, it’s the realization that the election’s outcome may serve as a culmination of the numerous twists and turns witnessed in the region’s political landscape since the previous parliamentary election.
The contest for the central Travancore seat commenced early, with rival Kerala Congress factions announcing their candidates in the first half of February. The Kerala Congress (M), emboldened by the support of the organizationally-strong Left Democratic Front alliance, hopes for an encore of 2019 and has fielded the incumbent MP, Thomas Chazhikadan.