'Namesakes' cause trouble for UDF candidates in Palakkad, Chelakkara Assembly seats
Palakkad (Kerala) (PTI): The namesakes of prominent candidates contesting as independents have impacted election outcomes in the past and the strategy appears to be making a comeback in the assembly bypolls in Palakkad and Chelakkara constituencies.
As the three major political fronts -- LDF, UDF and NDA -- enter the second phase campaigns, three individuals with names resembling those of the Congress-led UDF candidates have entered the race as independents in the two assembly seats.
In the Palakkad constituency, where a triangular contest is unfolding, two independent candidates -- Rahul Manalazhi and Rahul R Vadakanthara -- are posing a challenge for the UDF, which has fielded Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil.
The grand old party alleged that these namesake candidates are backed by the CPI(M) and the BJP to confuse voters.
"Our initial inquiries indicate that one candidate is a CPI(M) worker while the other is supported by the BJP. However, such tactics would not impact the UDF's prospects in any way," a local Congress leader involved in Mamkootathil's campaign told PTI on Thursday.
In Chelakkara, the candidacy of 46-year-old Haridasan, who is reportedly a CITU worker, has sparked a row with the resemblance of his name to that of UDF candidate and former MP Ramya Haridas.
His photo had also appeared on a flex board placed in the constituency seeking votes for CPI(M) candidate U R Pradeep.
Following the row, the board was removed, according to Congress workers.
The CPI(M) has not officially commented on the matter.
With the withdrawal of nominations over on Wednesday (October 30), a total of 10 candidates, including Mamkootathil, LDF-independent Dr P Sarin, and BJP leader C Krishnakumar, are in the fray for the Palakkad seat.
The two namesakes of the Congress candidate -- 33-year-old Rahul Manalazhi and 28-year-old Rahul R Vadakanthara -- were allocated the coconut farm and air conditioner poll symbols, respectively.
The bypoll for the seat was necessitated by the election of sitting MLA and Congress leader Shafi Parambil to the Lok Sabha from the Vadakara constituency in the recent parliamentary polls.
The Congress-led UDF had faced a jolt after Sarin, who was the former digital media cell convener of the KPCC, quit the grand old party in protest against its decision to field Mamkootathil as the party candidate in the constituency.
He later joined the CPI(M)-led alliance, which made him an independent candidate and pitted him against Mamkootathil.
In Chelakkara, responding to the presence of her namesake, Haridas told reporters that the voters in the constituency know the UDF candidate and her symbol very well.
The by-election in Chelakkara has been necessitated by the vacating of the seat by CPI(M)'s K Radhakrishnan, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Alathur constituency, defeating sitting MP Ramya Haridas.
To retain the seat, CPI(M) has fielded former MLA U R Pradeep, while K Balakrishnan is the BJP candidate.
According to political experts, one of the biggest political defeats in Kerala's electoral history occurred in 2004 when former KPCC president V M Sudheeran lost in the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency.
He was defeated by CPM-backed independent candidate K S Manoj by just 1,009 votes, largely due to the presence of his namesake, V S Sudheeran, who garnered 8,332 votes, the experts say.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
