Kochi: This is a sweet comeback for UDF convener Benny Behanan after he was denied a seat in the last Assembly elections in his sitting seat of Thrikkakara. In a shrewd move, he bagged the Chalakkudy seat at the last minute, pipping to the post aspirants like P.C. Chacko, who was defeated there last time, and K.P. Dhanapalan, who won from there in 2009. Benny proved in the end that he is close to party workers and masses unlike Chacko and has the charisma and political ground to outwit the appeal of a film personality like Innocent.
There were some anxious moments during the campaign when Benny Behanan had to be hospitalised after he developed health problems. He was away from the campaign scene for nearly two weeks when MLAs Eldhose Kunnappilly, V.P. Sajeendran, Anwar Sadath and Roji M. John took over the campaign. Political observers doubted whether a sympathy wave over this would turn in favour of Benny.
The unprecedented victory margin gives some credence to this argument, though aspects like Rahul wave, Sabarimala issue and minority consolidation mainly contributed to it. The road show at the fag end of the campaign by former chief minister Oommen Chandy had a major impact on the outcome.
However, in his landslide victory by a margin of 1,32,274 votes, the slender lead of 58 votes in Kaipamangalam Assembly constituency came as a surprise to political observers and Benny. The weak organisational machinery of the Congress there contributed to it. Aluva Assembly offered the highest margin of 32,103 votes to Benny. Chalakkudy gave him a 20,709 vote margin, Kodungallur 11,730, Perumbavoor 22,623, Angamaly 27,800 and Kunnathunadu 17,331. NOTA secured 7,578 votes in the constituency. BJP candidate A.N. Radhakrishnan polled 1,54,159 votes.
Benny said that the combined effort of UDF workers, even in his absence during hospitalisation, ensured his victory. He said that the lapses on the part of the state government and Innocent MP in the August flood relief work and the hurt caused to the sentiments of the faithful also contributed to his victory apart from the opposition to the Sangh Parivar agenda.
