Kottayam: The LDF has struck a huge blow to the UDF by winning its stronghold Pala, the fiefdom of the late K.M. Mani for the last 54 years. Mr Mani C. Kappen of the LDF floored Mr Jose Tom Pulikunnel of the UDF by a margin of 2,943 votes in the keenly contested by-election held following the death of K.M. Mani.
Mr Kappen, leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, secured 54, 137 votes, Mr Tom 51,194 and NDA’s N. Hari 18,044.
The LDF, which was smarting under the reverses in the Lok Sabha elections, has bounced back cashing in on the group rivalries in the Kerala Congress (M). This may impact the forthcoming by-elections to the five Assembly seats also.
Mr Kappen, who termed his victory as ‘liberation of Pala,’ had an edge right from the beginning of the counting held at the Carmel Public School, Pala, on Friday. What came as a shock to the UDF was that Mr Kappen maintained a clear lead in Ramapuram, the KC(M) fort, from the word ‘go.’
Mr Kappen has made it to the Assembly in his fourth attempt after being trounced by K.M. Mani thrice earlier. While in2006, Mani defeated Mr Kappen by a margin of 7,590 votes, the latter reduced the margin to 5,259 in 2011 and 4, 703 in 2016.
The LDF’s show is significant as in the Lok Sabha elections, the UDF had secured a majority of 33, 472 votes in Pala.
The wrangles in the KC(M) between the Jose K. Mani and P.J. Joseph factions that led to the denial of the ‘two leaves’ symbol to Mr Tom Jose also played a part in his defeat.
Mr Kappen, who was the captain of the Calicut University volleyball team in 1977, joined the KSEB as a sports assistant. In 1978, he shifted to the Abu Dhabi Sports Club and played there for four years before returning to the state.
He launched a real estate business in Pala and produced theblockbuster film, ‘Meleparambil Aanveedu,’ directed ‘Mannar Mathai Speaking’ and acted in some movies. He joined the Congress (Tiwari) in 1995 as its treasurer in Kerala, merged it with the Congress (S) and reached the NCP in 1999 after another merger. Mr Kappen’s father Mani C. Kappan was a Lok Sabha member in 1962.
