KOZHIKODE: Brides and grooms to be in Malabar have a celebrity status these days with candidates missing no homes where the wedding bells ring. Households in the interiors of Malabar do not hire catring units or event management firms as relatives and neighbours manage them.
Since the last date for filing nominations is April 29, candidates and party workers reserve the time after that for public gatherings and home visits. So, the time before that is being used to meet a maximum number of families at a single stretch.
They also visit bereaving families. The visits are more in Kuttiady and Nadapuram constituencies, where there is a culture of collectiveness throughout family events. Some of the candidates even join the cooking and serving sessions, while others just greet the bride, the groom and relatives.
They attend the ceremonies even without an invitation, but the families treat them like VIPs. Sometimes the candidate visits the homes and venues alone, and sometimes party workers accompany them.
“We are not targeting gatherings at the weddings. When the parent or the bride/groom is an acquaintance, we visit them as a custom. It is not aimed at votes alone,” said E.K. Vijayan, the CPM's legislator seeking another term in the Assembly from Nadapuram.
The home visits and bride and groom visits are not party-specific. They do not consider the political leniency of the families and conduct the visits to meet the maximum number of voters. Festival venues are another favourite spots of politicians during campaigning. The family meets will gain strength from next week onward, say the campaigners.
