In Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha seat, where all three fronts — CPI-M -led LDF, Congress-led UDF and BJP-led NDA — are hopeful of emerging victorious, the poll heat is above the summer heat with less than 24 hours left for the polling.

The constituency, which is considered a UDF stronghold is witnessing a fierce triangular fight between CPIM candidate Veena George, Congress nominee and incumbent MP from the seat, Anto Antony and NDA’s candidate K Surendran, who was the face of the Sabarimala protests across the state. Pathanamthitta constituency is where the famed Sabarimala temple is situated.

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Now, the political battle in Pathanamthitta is keenly watched across the nation to know the people’s response to the Sabarimala agitations whether the LDF government’s stance on Sabarimala issue would get popular approval or whether it will backfire, whether the BJP, which was in the forefront of the Sabarimala agitation, along with Sabarimala Karma Samithy, will be able to use this factor to gain more votes and reap victory or whether UDF will be able to retain the seat, or whether congress nominee and incumbent MP, Anto Antony will retain the seat.

During the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Anto Antony defeated CPI-M’s K Ananthagopan by a huge margin of 1,11,206 votes. But in 2014, his margin came down to just 56,191 against Peelipose Thomas, an independent candidate, supported by LDF Anto Antony, though faces anti-incumbency, believes that he can retain the seat with the support of the traditional UDF voters. He expect that Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s push in the last lap of the campaign will make a huge impact on the voters.

LDF hopes that their candidate Veena George has an edge in the constituency as she is getting support from all sections in the society. Her career as a media professional, will act as an added advantage, LDF leaders feel. It has been said that the CPI-M leadership has handpickedVeena George to contest in the constituency because of her Christian identity.

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However, there are certain concerns in the LDF camp over the propaganda going against it on the women’s entry into the Sabarimala temple as well as regarding the way the government handled the floods. A recent Amicus Curiae report to the Kerala High Court had stated that poor dam management was the reason behind the floods.

Pathanamthitta is one of the constituencies that the BJP is hopeful of winning in the state. BJP candidate K Surendran is gaining support across the constituency with large number of people, including women attending his meetings.

The campaign for the 23 April Lok Sabha polls in Kerala ended on Sunday evening. While both the LDF and and the UDF are expecting big wins, BJP too hopes to send its representatives from Kerala to the Lok Sabha this time around.

The UDF camp believes it can sweep the polls, especially in the wake of the candidature of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi from Wayand. On the other hand,
the LDF hopes it can win a majority of seats, as people will prefer to vote it on the basis on good governance provided by the Pinarayi Vijayan government.  The LDF camp says they can repeat the 2004 results, when a majority of seats in the state were won by them.

The BJP-led NDA is expecting that the Sabarimala factor would help them make it to the Lok Sabha for the first time from the state. Though Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Teeka Ram Meena has said invoking the Sabarimala issue will amount to violation of the Model Code of Conduct, the issue of women’s entry has taken the centre stage in the poll campaign. The BJP has succeeded in keeping the Sabarimala issue on the boil by exploiting the devotees’ sentiments.

The LDF is countering it by making people aware of the situation that resulted in implementing the Supreme Court verdict.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah had unequivocally stated the party will apprise the apex court of Kerala’s the ageold beliefs and traditions and ensure Constitutional protection for matters of faith. The BJP is focusing on four seats – Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur and Palakkad – where the party expects it has good chances to win.

Meanwhile, the ‘Kalaskottu’ (climax of election campaign) witnessed scuffles between political activists across the state. LDF supporters stopped the road show of UDF candidate Shashi Tharoor at Veli, where senior
Congress leader A K Antony was campaigning for Tharoor. In Alathur, Congress candidate Remya Haridas was admitted to a hospital with injuries following stone pelting on the vehicle in which she was travelling.

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