'Shone George will decide Pala's winner'; Election race tightens in old Kerala Congress (M) bastion

KOTTAYAM: Pala, the constituency that stayed loyal to K.M. Mani for half a century, dumped Kerala Congress (M) after the veteran leader’s death. This time, Pala will see a contest between the sons of three former MLAs. While sitting MLA Mani C.Kappan is the UDF candidate, Kerala Congress (M) Chairman Jose K Mani is entering for a prestige fight. With BJP state vice president Shone George also entering the field to capture the constituency, the race is on.

In the by-elections held following the death of K.M. Mani in 2019, Mani C Kappan won a historic victory by defeating Kerala Congress (M) candidate Jose Tom. Mani C Kappan, who left the front after Kerala Congress (M) joined LDF, effectively defeated Jose K. Mani by a majority of 15,378 votes.

Despite the Left wave that swept the entire state at that time, Kappan's decisive victory in Pala deprived Jose K. Mani of a ministerial status in the second Pinarayi government. Jose, who later went to the Rajya Sabha, is contesting again from Pala this time to avenge the embarrassment of that time.

The work Pala benefited from Mani C. Kappan’s seven years as an MLA and Jose K. Mani’s stint in the Rajya Sabha will be the topic of discussion. While the LDF alleges that Kappan failed to bring any development projects, the UDF argues that Jose K. Mani and his associates are obstructing development. The BJP, meanwhile, alleged that both fronts have been duping the public for all this time. The opponents are also questioning the relevance of Jose K Mani contesting the assembly while his term as a Rajya Sabha member is still up. The Chief Minister will reach Pala today to fuel the campaign. The NDA is trying to get the Prime Minister to the constituency.

The BJP's best vote tally in Pala was 25,000 votes in 2016. But last time, it fell to 10,000, which ended up benefiting Kappan. Political observers say that Shone’s arrival will affect Kappan. BJP estimates that NDA votes and Shone’s personal connections will help deliver the saffron party’s best-ever performance. Political analysts believe that Shone will decide the winner in Pala this time.