LDF being challenged by UDF, BJP in Vaduthala East, its bastion for nearly half a century

In the Vaduthala East division of the Kochi Corporation, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is determined to preserve its dominance of nearly half a century, while the United Democratic Front (UDF) is intent on denting that cloak of invincibility, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to remind the electorate that it is no longer a two-horse race.

UDF candidate in the Vaduthala East division of the Kochi Corporation Henry Austin during his campaigning on Thursday.
| Photo Credit:
THULASI KAKKAT

The LDF has fielded O.P. Sunil, a former councillor and member of the Vaduthala local committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who scraped past the finishing line with a skin-of-the-teeth victory margin of 21 votes in 2015. However, he remains confident of a far easier victory this time by bettering the 558-vote margin registered by the LDF candidate in 2020.

Development activities

“I have completed three rounds of house visits, and I can feel the acceptance among the people. The development activities carried out by the previous LDF council remain the focal point of our campaign. We have prioritised a few projects for the next five years, including a ring road similar to the coastal road, development of roads, an open gym, identifying our own buildings for anganwadis, and an artificial turf for youngsters,” Mr. Sunil said.

BJP candidate in the Vaduthala East division of the Kochi Corporation K.B. Manoj Kumar during his campaigning on Thursday.
| Photo Credit:
THULASI KAKKAT

He is not expecting a tight contest, despite the UDF fielding Henry Austin, the sitting councillor of the neighbouring Vaduthala West division. He dismisses the BJP as inconsequential.

Mr. Austin counts on the congruity of the two divisions on either side of Chittoor Road and remains confident that the people of Vaduthala East are also well aware of the work he has done in the neighbouring division over the past five years. The goal, he says, is nothing short of wresting the LDF bastion, where UDF candidates registered leads of nearly 1,000 and over 2,000 votes in the Assembly and Parliament elections respectively held after the 2020 local body polls.

‘Vote for change’

“The focus of the campaign is straightforward—vote for change, vote for progress. Development projects to the tune of ₹7 crore were carried out in the Vaduthala West division over the past five years. Seventeen houses left incomplete due to lack of funds under the LIFE Mission were completed using Corporate Social Responsibility funds. I am planning out-of-the-box projects in education, health, housing, and job creation for the Vaduthala East division, while also tapping into its tourism potential by creating ghats,” Mr. Austin said.

Priorities

When he contested as an Independent 10 years ago, K.B. Manoj Kumar, BJP Vaduthala area committee president, managed to secure fewer than 300 votes. He now remains confident of significantly improving that tally with the organisational strength of the party. “Even without any work, the party managed to garner around 800 votes in the division in last year’s Lok Sabha election. We have been able to convince people that we can do much better than the other two fronts by tapping into the Centre’s welfare projects. Addressing waterlogging, traffic issues, waste management, and cleaning the Perandoor Canal are our priorities,” he said.

The division has remained intact post-delimitation and has an electorate of nearly 6,000.