Election heat in Kerala

On April 9, Kerala will go to the polls to decide the government they want for the 16th assembly. For the next three weeks, fiery campaigning voices of the Left, Right and NDA fronts will reverberate across the state.

Along with Kerala, assembly elections are also scheduled for Assam and Puducherry on April 9. Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on April 23, and West Bengal will go to the polls in two phases on April 23 and 29. Announcing the election dates, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said that a total of 17.4 crore people are eligible to vote in all these states. The results will be declared on May 4 everywhere. After the SIR process conducted by the Election Commission, there were 2.69 crore names in the voter list. The addition of names to the voter list is still ongoing. It is expected that about 50,000 more people may be included in the voter list by the time the assembly elections are held.

The LDF, aiming for a third term, is entering the fray to regain power under the leadership of Pinarayi. The UDF is bracing itself on the battlefield with increased vigour, unable to think of anything short of victory. The BJP-led NDA, which has a strong vote bank in all assembly constituencies, is expected to pose a big challenge to both fronts. Many constituencies will witness the strongest triangular contest for the first time in the history of Kerala elections. Even Psephologists are clueless about predicting the winners due to the intense competition. Even if NDA has a feeble chance of forming a government in the state, this election will be vital for their big aim for 2031. These factors make this election fiercer and more exciting.

Now, workers of all fronts will start going door to door with campaign notices seeking votes and will interact with the people with great tolerance. People of Kerala generally have an intrigue for politics. Thus, even those who are not very interested will be discussing politics regardless of age. Discussions will take centre stage across all nooks and corners of the state till May 4th. False propaganda will have its share of fun, making naive people fall victim to the disinformation.

This year, the election comes amidst scorching summer, the Gulf War, the LPG crisis, economic crunch, price hikes, and frightening law and order issues. These factors will not likely detract people from coming to the polling booths. LDF believes they have done everything possible for the state, with many development projects efficiently implemented. Meanwhile, UDF firmly believes that the ten-year anti-incumbency sentiment will morph into a tsunami to help them reach the golden tally of 100 seats. The BJP-led NDA aims not just to increase its vote share but also to register landslide victories and get its important candidates into the assembly.

Leaders and supporters should be careful to avoid personal attacks and false propaganda. No one should forget that it is the responsibility of political parties and workers to maintain a peaceful atmosphere during the election. It is hoped that the voters of the state will choose a government they deem most suitable for the future of the state.