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.
