Leftouts in the city
By Asha P Nair
29th October 2010 03:46 AM
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Never before has the city deceived the Left in this fashion. The people of the city who carried the Red brigades on their shoulders, giving them complete domination in the Council and trusting them with their votes in 2005, have shown a cold shoulder to them in 2010. The LDF has been left thinking: What changed in five years?
A lot, seemingly. Political equations and caste consolidation ranking high among them. Anti-incumbency doing its bit. The alleged alliance of UDF and BJP at several places. The indifferent air of middle class Thiruvananthapuram towards an impenetrable party. The total detachment of upper middle-class...it goes on.
A glance through the voting pattern is, however, confusing. Mulloor, which registered the highest voting percentage in the Corporation, a record 78.56, has gone to the UDF. When read with the common belief that high voting usually favours the Congress, it rings true. But Thampanoor, the ward that recorded the lowest voter turnout, 45.54 percent, has also gone to the UDF. Vanchiyur and Pattom, where polling was low at 49 and 48.67 percent respectively, also favoured the UDF.
Whereas, in many of the newly-formed wards such as Kattaikonam, Chellamangalam, Venganoor and Paudikonam, where polling was above 67 percent, the LDF has won. Chandavila and Sreekariyam - also new wards where polling was above 67 percent - went to the UDF and an independent candidate (CPM rebel) respectively. Tough lessons for any psephologist.
The Left is comforting itself with the fact that the coastal areas have largely stayed with them. But that is not a comfortable cushion to rest on. For, it has favoured the UDF too. Of the 14 coastal wards, six had gone to the UDF, seven to the LDF and one to independent candidate (with BJP support). While Kottappuram, Vizhinjam, Harbour, Beemapally, Mulloor and Valiyathura went to the UDF, Poonthura, Puthanpally, Pallithura, Beemapally East, Sangumugham, Vettukad and Poundukadavu had gone to the LDF.
In many wards, allegations have cropped up on an unholy alliance between the UDF and the BJP in adjacent wards. Take Ponnumangalam and Nemom wards for instance. While Ponnumangalam went to the BJP, the adjacent Nemom (which was a CPI seat) went to the UDF. The same can be seen at Nettayam and Thuruthumoola. Nettayam went to the BJP and the other to the Congress.
Maybe the real reasons are not politics but caste-based. For the first time, Brahmin Sabha and SNDP openly came out in support of candidates. The Vaikunda Swami Dharma Paripalana Sabha (VSDPS), which is spreading its roots in the city, was strongly against the Left. They had tried to topple the chances of CPM candidate at Nedumcaud. However, it was the minority Tamil votes that had saved the candidate here. The failure of Vinodkumar (Mali) at Kesavadasapuram and Vanchiyur Mohanan at Sreekanteswaram throws up the question: How come the NSS votes did not help them? But if caste is a main reason, then how did the coastal area, where large Christian consolidation could be seen, opted for the the Left in many wards?
So, may be the reasons are apolitical and not just about caste. The rude and closed behaviour of Left cadres have been pointed out as a reason for the vote leak. Local CPM leaders agree that their state leadership needs to give a little more attention to public behaviour. The fact that the upper middle class votes in Mudavanmugal have entirely gone for the Congress is read as an indication of this by many party cadres.
The upper class prefer the polished etiquette of Shashi Tharoor to the rustic rudeness of Sivankutty, they assume. Whatever may be the reasons, the Left will have a tough time cracking them.
asha.nair@expressbuzz.com
A lot, seemingly. Political equations and caste consolidation ranking high among them. Anti-incumbency doing its bit. The alleged alliance of UDF and BJP at several places. The indifferent air of middle class Thiruvananthapuram towards an impenetrable party. The total detachment of upper middle-class...it goes on.
A glance through the voting pattern is, however, confusing. Mulloor, which registered the highest voting percentage in the Corporation, a record 78.56, has gone to the UDF. When read with the common belief that high voting usually favours the Congress, it rings true. But Thampanoor, the ward that recorded the lowest voter turnout, 45.54 percent, has also gone to the UDF. Vanchiyur and Pattom, where polling was low at 49 and 48.67 percent respectively, also favoured the UDF.
Whereas, in many of the newly-formed wards such as Kattaikonam, Chellamangalam, Venganoor and Paudikonam, where polling was above 67 percent, the LDF has won. Chandavila and Sreekariyam - also new wards where polling was above 67 percent - went to the UDF and an independent candidate (CPM rebel) respectively. Tough lessons for any psephologist.
The Left is comforting itself with the fact that the coastal areas have largely stayed with them. But that is not a comfortable cushion to rest on. For, it has favoured the UDF too. Of the 14 coastal wards, six had gone to the UDF, seven to the LDF and one to independent candidate (with BJP support). While Kottappuram, Vizhinjam, Harbour, Beemapally, Mulloor and Valiyathura went to the UDF, Poonthura, Puthanpally, Pallithura, Beemapally East, Sangumugham, Vettukad and Poundukadavu had gone to the LDF.
In many wards, allegations have cropped up on an unholy alliance between the UDF and the BJP in adjacent wards. Take Ponnumangalam and Nemom wards for instance. While Ponnumangalam went to the BJP, the adjacent Nemom (which was a CPI seat) went to the UDF. The same can be seen at Nettayam and Thuruthumoola. Nettayam went to the BJP and the other to the Congress.
Maybe the real reasons are not politics but caste-based. For the first time, Brahmin Sabha and SNDP openly came out in support of candidates. The Vaikunda Swami Dharma Paripalana Sabha (VSDPS), which is spreading its roots in the city, was strongly against the Left. They had tried to topple the chances of CPM candidate at Nedumcaud. However, it was the minority Tamil votes that had saved the candidate here. The failure of Vinodkumar (Mali) at Kesavadasapuram and Vanchiyur Mohanan at Sreekanteswaram throws up the question: How come the NSS votes did not help them? But if caste is a main reason, then how did the coastal area, where large Christian consolidation could be seen, opted for the the Left in many wards?
So, may be the reasons are apolitical and not just about caste. The rude and closed behaviour of Left cadres have been pointed out as a reason for the vote leak. Local CPM leaders agree that their state leadership needs to give a little more attention to public behaviour. The fact that the upper middle class votes in Mudavanmugal have entirely gone for the Congress is read as an indication of this by many party cadres.
The upper class prefer the polished etiquette of Shashi Tharoor to the rustic rudeness of Sivankutty, they assume. Whatever may be the reasons, the Left will have a tough time cracking them.
asha.nair@expressbuzz.com
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