Chandra's experience takes on Kasida's inexperience

Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express

T'Puram, Oct. 4

A former Mayor, two time councilor, one of the probabale Mayor candidate and most importantly a well acceptable person of the locality. Thus goes the adjectives for J.Chandra, the LDF candidate from Peroorkada ward which is reserved for women.

She is taking on Kasida Madhu, a fresher to politics and a not so familiar person to the locality, who is the Congress candidate in the ward. She is the wife of a Non-Resident Keralite is having a couple of business concerns including an auditorium at Peroorkada junction. Not only that she has much adjectives to highlight, Kasida is also facing the threat from a candidate being backed by the SNDP.

If local sources are to be believed, Kasida is a late-hour choice of UDF. The SNDP had been pressing for Leelama, a retired school teacher and a resident of Amabalamukku, as the UDF condidate. However, as the UDF turned down the demand for unknown reasons, Leelama decided to enter the fray with the backing of SNDP.

“Leelama is not a Congress rebel, but a SNDP candidate and we do not see any threat from her,” said Congress local leader Manamoola Rajan.

While Chandra lists out a seroes of development activities intiated by herself during her term as councilor in from Kawdiar ward in 1995 to 2000 and Mayor in 2000 to 2005 as well as that by her party colleague V.S.Padmakumar during 2005 to 2010, the present status of Peroorkad and Ambalamukku junctions as well as the antiincumbancy factor against the LDF might snowball as adverse factors against her. Chandra could heave a sigh of relief as road works are progressing on a war footing basis at Ambalamukku junction. The UDF camps also blame the LDF of derailing a major development programmes for Peroorkada junction that was initiated during the term of the UDF government led by Oommen Chandy.

In the campaign mode, Chandra has already registered an edge as she had already reached out to the 7,500 voters. While Kasida is trailing behind, Leelamma has already made here presence felt in the ward. “Since there was some delay in deciding our candidate, we are quite behind in the camping. But we hope to over come it in another couple of days, “ said Congress activist Rajan.

All the three candidates share the advantage of being local residents for the past many years.

Ends