Election scenario remains hazy in Kovalam where neither the rival fronts nor the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) have firmed up its candidates so far.
Janata Dal (S) which holds the seat in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in all probability would give yet another chance to incumbent Jameela Prakasam. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which completed its bilateral talks with the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena on Monday, has allotted the seat to the party, putting an end to speculations that it would field BJP district president S. Suresh. Aspirants for the seat are too many in the Congress.
Since the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has not opened up its mind, a number of senior leaders have already staked their claim for the seat citing community equations and the clout they wield among the local people. The voters of Kovalam had experimented with candidates of the rival fronts, but had always shown a clear affinity for the Janata Parivar, and their most preferred choice had been A. Neelalohitadas, who got elected from the segment in 1977 and then in a row from 1987 to 2001. Despite being a debutante in politics, his wife, Ms. Prakasam, defeated senior Congress leader George Mercier for a margin of 7,205 votes in 2011.
The LDF camp is confident of retaining the seat, mainly on the strength of the development ventures initiated by Ms. Prakasam. The indecision worries the United Democratic Front (UDF) camp, but hopes to recover the lost ground soon. The NDA is also hopeful of putting up a stiff fight.
