Kerala Assembly Elections: Will P C George join winners' league

KOTTAYAM: Independents who refuse to ally with either of the fronts have performed badly in the Kerala Assembly elections, except on  four occasions. If Mr P.C. George, Kerala Congress (Secular) leader, manages to pull it off in Poonjar, he will be the fifth one to have achieved that feat.

The previous successful independents were K.K. Nair,  George Joseph Podipara,  N. Sundaran Nadar  and M.A. Vahid.  K.K. Nair  won as an  independent   from Pathanamthitta  in 1980 after the  LDF denied him the seat and gave it to  the Kerala Congress.   George Joseph Podipara  won as a Congress rebel from Ettumanur  against the Kerala Congress (M) leader E.J. Lukose in 1987.  

Congress leader N. Sundaran Nadar,  who was denied the Parassala seat in 1996, contested as a rebel and won.   M.A. Vahid, Congress rebel,  defeated the IUML candidate in Kazhakootam in 2001.   Mr  George’s fight was  against  formidable opponents, especially CPM politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan who took it as a prestige issue.  He was involved in a four-cornered contest  with the NDA fielding the BDJS candidate.