P C George's outsider' jibe worked: CPM

KOTTAYAM: The erosion of LDF votes in Poonjar, to 22, 270 from 44, 105 in 2011, has landed the CPI (M) local leadership in trouble. They believe the effective campaign of P.C. George on the "outsider" tag of their candidate proved a big success. They find it hard to explain why they could not foresee it and prevent the loss of P.C. Joseph. LDF votes in most of the booths went to Mr George.

Mr George’s main campaign slogan, Kannetha Doorathalla, Kayyethum Doorathu (at a hand's distance, not beyond eyesight) hit the bullseye. Mr Joseph is from Idukki and UDF candidate Georgekutty Augusthy was not active in politics for quite some time.

“He was able to whip up the regional feelings successfully. If the LDF candidate were from the constituency and contested on the party symbol, the party votes would not have lost,” CPI (M) Poonjar area secretary K.R. Sakthidharan told Deccan Chronicle. "Mr George effectively used his extensive connections he built up over the years as an MLA."

The humiliating defeat of Mr Joseph, who was relegated to the third position, was also seen as a setback to Chief Minister-designate Pinarayi Vijayan, who took a particular interest on the constituency. Senior party leader and Ettumanur MLA-elect K. Suresh Kurup said the party would introspect.

Mr George made massive inroads into the vote banks of both the UDF and the LDF scoring a majority of 27, 821 votes. In the 2011 elections, LDF-independent Mohan Thomas had bagged 44, 105 votes in a direct fight with him. But Mr Joseph could poll only 22, 270 votes.