Kerala Assembly polls: Three-way contest sharpens in Vattiyurkavu amid high-decibel campaigning

At the Pangode junction in the Vattiyurkavu Assembly constituency, the heat rose in waves from the asphalt, blurring the edges of a restless afternoon. Traffic crawled past walls layered with campaign posters of the three major political coalitions.

Within minutes, the announcement vehicles of rival fronts cut through the air in quick succession, their loudspeakers colliding in a chorus of slogans. In the middle of this noise stood Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate, V.K. Prasanth, pausing between handshakes to make his case.

Development plank

“Over the past six-and-a-half years as MLA, we have brought projects to the tune of ₹718 crore, many of them now in different stages of execution,” he said. He reeled off a list of development projects that sounded familiar to many residents—at Vattiyurkavu, Pattom and Kesavadasapuram junctions, and others in places, including Ambalamukku, Peroorkada and Kannammoola. “I am seeking another mandate to carry these forward. Our aim is to put Vattiyurkavu on a development trajectory comparable to major cities and to make it a senior-citizen-friendly smart urban space.”

The LDF candidate’s pitch leans heavily on continuity. He had wrested the seat in the 2019 byelection, necessitated by Congress leader K. Muraleedharan vacating the seat. He consolidated the LDF’s hold in the segment in the 2021 Assembly polls when he retained the constituency with a comfortable margin.

But the mood on the ground is far from one-sided.

A few kilometres away, near Muttada, the skies had opened up by the time Mr. Muraleedharan, the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, arrived at Reshmi Nagar. Rain-soaked supporters gathered as he stepped out of his vehicle, accepting shawls and greetings with practised ease. The contrast with the earlier heat was striking, yet the intensity of the campaign felt unchanged.

‘Constant presence’

“I have been present here consistently over the years,” the senior Congress leader said. “Even while I was an MP representing Vadakara, I would visit Vattiyurkavu at least twice a week. I have shared in the joys and concerns of people here. After my defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Thrissur, I had shifted my full attention to this constituency.”

He is also credited with leading the UDF campaign during the recent Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections, in which the coalition made significant gains. His candidacy signals the UDF resolve to reclaim lost ground in a constituency that was once its stronghold.

Meanwhile, at an eatery tucked along a busy stretch in Kuravankonam, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate K. Sreelekha paused briefly with her campaign team, many of them young volunteers who, she said, had skipped breakfast to keep pace with the day’s schedule.

‘Receptive to BJP’

The former IPS officer appeared confident of her prospects. “Vattiyurkavu has always been receptive to the BJP. While we have not won here yet, the Corporation wards within the constituency have been our strongholds,” she said.

She pointed to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the NDA’s candidate in Thiruvananthapuram Rajeev Chandrasekhar polled strongly in segments, including Vattiyurkavu. “This time, I believe we will surpass expectations. The response on the ground has been very encouraging. It could also be historic—we may see the first woman MLA from here,” she said.

The BJP’s optimism reflects a broader trend. Its vote-share in urban pockets of Kerala has been growing steadily, even if that has not translated into victories, except when the party secured victory in Nemom in 2016.

While the tight nature of recent contests lingers in memory, the steady stream of accusations has sharpened the mood further this time. The Congress has alleged “political deals” between their political rivals, while the CPI(M) has dismissed it as political desperation and the BJP calling it baseless. Adding to the friction are complaints over campaign tactics, with Mr. Muraleedharan complaining against claims of “paid rally” mobilisation, while Mr. Prasanth counters that such allegations reflect the Opposition’s organisational weakness.