Traditional industries to have a say in Kundara

KOLLAM: The delimitation of the constituency and the change in community voting pattern will decide the outcome in  Kundara constituency.  CPM candidate J. Mercykutty Amma  banks on the  votes of the workers of traditional industries, including the cashew sector.  UDF’s  Rajmohan Unnithan is a nominee of KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran while the NDA candidate is BJP’s south zone general secretary M.S. Syamkumar.

The delimitation and the change in the community votes, including those of  Nairs and Christians,  prompted the KPCC to field Mr Rajmohan Unnithan.   The challenge before  Ms Mercykutty Amma is to win the votes of this new community pattern. She had won from   Kundara for the first time in 1987 defeating senior Congress leader Thoppil Ravi. The UDF has suffered defeats during  the last two terms.

The CPM also focuses on the achievements by its politburo member M.A. Baby who represented the constituency for two terms.  The campaigners are concentrating on the  voters of coir and fisheries sectors. Out of a total of 100 cashew factories in the constituency, around 75 have been shut down.

The fisheries sector faces issues like the new fishing  policy implemented by the central and state governments. There are also protests against the  norms in constructing houses on the coastline and permitting foreign fishing vessels in the territory.

Mr Rajmohan Unnithan is  a  KPCC spokesman, AICC member and Kerala state film development corporation chairman. BJP’s M.S. Syamkumar who entered active politics through the RSS is a retired accounts officer of the Kollam city police commissioner’s office.  After the delimitation, the constituency consists of  Kundara, Perinad, Elamballoor, Perayam, Kottangara, Thrikkovilvattom, and Nedumpana panchayats.