Kollam: Aaya Rams, gaya Rams call shots

Kolam: Kollam has been with the LDF in the past several elections and it even withstood political currents that took the UDF on its ebb to power. This time around, choosing right candidates in the seats left behind by the allies that switched over to the other front will be a decisive factor for both the LDF and the UDF in the district this poll season.

During the 2011 elections, Shibu Baby John of RSP (B) and Ganesh Kumar of KC(B) were the only UDF that represented the district out of a total of 11 segments in the district.

Both the fonts are formulating new equations to handle the cross-over: the RSP has left the LDF while Kerala Congress (B)has broke ranks with the UDF. The RSP’s departure has not affected the LDF considerably in the recent local body polls though it cannot be taken as a yardstick for the Assembly polls.

The RSP that has been limited to Kollam in its seat sharing is facing the Assembly polls for the first time after it had left the LDF. Winning the election will turn out to be a question of existence of the Party. The RSP had three MLAs when it left the LDF. Of them, Kovoor Kunjumon left the Party and has formed RSP (Leninist) and returned to the LDF.

The RSP contested in Eravipuram, Chavara, Kunnathoor, and Aruvikkara in the last elections and won Eravipuram and Kunnathoor. Shibu Baby John of RSP (B) who was with the UDF defeated N.K. Premachandran in Chavara. It is learnt that the Party would demand Kundara, Punalur, and Kollam seats apart from Chavara, Eravipuram and Kunnathoor this time.

The plight of CPI within the LDF is much similar to the RSP in UDF. The CPI eyes on the seats left by the RSP in the LDF. However, the CPM is yet to decide on sharing those seats with the CPI who has strongholds in Kollam. The LDF is learnt to have decided to field Kovoor Kunjumon in Kunnathoor as no other candidate would be apt for contesting in his sitting seat for the last several terms.