KOLLAM: Chadayamangalam will be a tough nut for senior Congress leader M.M. Hassan to crack. He has Mullakkara Ratnakaran, the sitting MLA of CPI, as a strong opponent in the constituency that has never given a chance to UDF except once since its constitution.
Starting his second round of election campaigning on Monday, Mr Hassan visited the entire Velinalloor, one of the largest panchayats in his constituency. He addressed gatherings at various junctions there seeking votes highlighting the developments under the UDF government. He also visited major government offices in the area before calling on prominent leaders at the Mar Thoma Church in Vengoor in Elamad by evening.
Mr Hassan, who could not secure a seat from the Congress party to contest in the past two elections, will have this election as a decisive one in his political career. Several Congress workers had come up against his candidature branding him as an outsider, which could influence the poll outcome.
Chithara Madhu, the KPCC executive member who always used to find a place in the final list of candidates for Chadayamangalam since 1980, had also raised rebel threats. The Congress tried to give the Chadayamangalam seat to IUML instead of the Eravipuram that was given to the RSP, but IUML denied it.
The leader who came to mainstream politics through KSU and Youth Congress was the information, parliamentary affairs and Norka minister in the government led by A.K. Antony in 2001. For Mr Hassan, the KPCC vice-president and Janasree Mission chairman, a win is inevitable for his political future.
