Constituency watch Vattiyoorkavu: Minority votes to prove crucial

Thiruvananthapuram: Around 30 men and a lone woman waited anxiously at the entrance of Panikker's Lane, Sasthamangalam, at 7.15am on Thursday. The previous night, K Muraleedharan had told them that he would join the squad at 7.30am. None of them wanted to be late as they knew that he would arrive five minutes ahead of schedule.
Congress candidate for Vattiyoorkavu and MLA K Muraleedharan began his campaign at 7.30am.He knocked at doors, with folded hands and said: "Please, do help me". At many houses, he would call the owners by name. "They are our people. They helped us last time too," said B Chandrasekharan, a squad member.
Unlike in 2011, Muraleedharan is facing a tough battle at Vattiyoorkavu. "I have to work twice as hard this time," he said when asked about the three-cornered contest in the constituency. The other candidates are CPM's T N Seema, who has just completed her term in Rajya Sabha, and BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan.

"We are seeking votes based on the area's development and the initiatives undertaken by the UDF . The change is visible," Muraleedharan expressed confidence.
At Bhagavathy Nagar near Pippinmoodu, an area regarded as a Congress bastion, T N Seema was meeting voters. She didn't skip any house and willingly climbed steep paths that led to houses built on one or two-cent plots. At each home, she addressed the women and empathized with homemakers by inquiring about the dishes for the day. One of the houses had a goat and she talked about the benefits of rearing them. "I used to assist my father in rearing goats. I even know what to do when it gives birth," Seema recalled her childhood. The goat owner beamed.
"What development did the MLA speak about? Is asphalting a few main roads development?" Seema asked. "In the past two weeks, I visited several places where drinking water is still a dream. Solid waste management is a real headache in urban areas. Instead of blaming the corporation, he should have worked hand-in-glove with it to solve the issue," she said. The CPM hopes to benefit from the triangular contest. It believes the BJP would eat into UDF votes."The candidature of Kummanam would mean that they won't have any truck with the Congress," Seema said.

Kummanam was campaigning in Kodunganoor and Vattiyoorkavu areas on Thursday . By evening, he reached Vattiyoorkavu Junction and did a quick tour of shops and offices. Then he proceeded to the Sathya Sai Baba Temple on Valiyaveedu Lane where a bhajan was on. Kummanam joined in and, after the mangal arati, met each of them and sought support. "The response is overwhelming from all sections," he said. "We are exposing the adjustment politics of both fronts and voters have woken up to real issues," Kummanam said.
Nair voters form the majority in the constituency and three Nair candidates fight for their votes this time. With the NSS taking an equidistant stand as usual, the determining factor will be the minority votes in the constituency . The real fight will be between the CPM and Congress to win minority votes.