As the local body elections in Kerala draw near, with just a couple of months left, the political landscape in Kottayam is heating up. The three major coalitions are already in full campaign mode, preparing for the upcoming polls.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) is scheduled to officially kick off its campaign with a significant meeting on September 27, graced by the presence of Opposition Leader V. D. Satheesan. Not to be outdone, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has wrapped up its district and constituency-level reviews and plans to hold public meetings across all panchayats and municipal wards throughout the next month, starting October 1. Meanwhile, the NDA’s campaign has already begun with a public address by Union Minister Suresh Gopi at the ‘Culver Friendship Summit’ in Mevada, near Pala.
Philson Mathews, the UDF convenor in Kottayam, revealed that the party’s election preparations started well over a year ago with the Congress’s ‘Mission 2025’ initiative. He highlighted a significant increase in the voter base, noting, ‘On average, approximately 4,000 new voters have been registered in each panchayat. Furthermore, new committees have been established in the recently delimited wards.’
Mathews further elaborated on the UDF’s central campaign themes, which will address ‘the drastic reduction in funds allocated to local bodies over the past five years.’ He also criticized what he termed ‘the farce currently being enacted under the guise of Vikasana Sadas in panchayats, which has resulted in an extravagant expenditure of local body funds.’
The Crucial Seat-Sharing Discussions
Meanwhile, the LDF is strategically focusing on recent legislative changes, specifically the amendment to the Land Assignment Act and a proposed amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act. These initiatives are aimed at garnering voter support, particularly in local bodies situated near forest areas. An LDF district leader confirmed, ‘Discussions regarding seat-sharing are actively underway. The demand from the Kerala Congress (M) [KC(M)] for an increased number of seats in these elections will be finalized at a subsequent stage.’
The NDA, having steadily grown its presence in the district over the past decade, is optimistic about securing even more seats in this election cycle. Their primary campaign focus, shared with ally Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), will highlight the numerous grassroots development initiatives spearheaded by the NDA government at the national level.
Although all coalition partners have initiated their preparatory activities, the crucial seat-sharing negotiations and the ultimate selection of candidates are anticipated to intensify once the official notification for ward reservations is released. Concurrently, each political front has started compiling an initial roster of potential candidates for discussion during upcoming coalition meetings.