KOZHIKODE: It would be a terrible choice between two extremes for the Kalpetta electorate this time. On one hand it is a smart, cricket loving, tech-savvy, entrepreneurial landlord heading a prominent media business house, representing generations of political legacy and on the other a down-to-earth communist, uncompromising warrior in farmer-tribal struggles eking out a living by selling milk every day.
The contest between JD (U) leader M.V. Shreyams Kumar, the son of socialist patriarch M.P. Veerendra Kumar, and CPM Wayanad district secretary CK Saseendran is one with rare parallels.
Both candidates are smart enough in their domains, though entirely different. Mr Saseendran, who owns only 1.3 acres of land, is a dairy farmer who begins his daily party activities after selling milk. CPM announced his candidature early, and he has already travelled much ahead of Mr Kumar in the campaign.
Mr Saseendran said he was confident this time.
“I have completed my first round, and I hope this time people would vote against the UDF,” he said. Representing the constituency in the legislature for the last two consecutive terms, Mr Kumar is a familiar face. A travel buff, he is also popular among nature lovers for his avid love of nature photography. Heading the marketing and electronic media division of Mathrubhumi, he had served as the president of Wayanad District Cricket Association and a member of Kerala Cricket Association.
Hailing from the Jain community, he also enjoys strong backing of his community, apart from far and wide connections of his family. The major headache of Mr Kumar would be the fuming protest among Muslims over publishing some derogatory references on Prophet Muhammed. A campaign against him has already been on behind the curtains.
Moreover, he has a unique credit of contesting in both political camps UDF and LDF in the constituency. He was in the LDF camp when he faced election in 2006. However, M.V. Shreyams Kumar told DC that winning is not a tough task in kalpetta which is his home turf. “I have served the people well during the last two tenures. Everybody are close to me”, he added.
Interestingly the contest also reminds about the weeks’ long agitation of landless tribals led by Adivasi Kshema Samithi, the tribal arm of CPM led by Mr Saseendran, in the land in his possession.
