ALAPPUZHA: Alappuzha is popularly known as the mother of all constituencies in terms of the spirited electoral battles between the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Though known to be a communist bastion, the voters, however, have gone for Congress candidates almost always since 1957.
Even in the last Lok Sabha elections in 2009, the first after the delimitation process, K. C. Venugopal of the Congress trounced sitting MP K.S.Manoj of the CPM by a thumping margin of 57,635 votes.
KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran had set a record of sorts by winning this seat (1977, 1996, 1998, 1999) while Vakkom Purushothaman represented the constituency in 1984 and 1989.
The land which saw the momentous Punnapra Vayalar, elected LDF candidates only thrice in the last 10 years. The late Susheela Gopalan won in 1980, T. J. Anjalose in 1991 and K. S. Manoj in 2004.
The biggest upset the constituency witnessed was in 2004 when the doctor turned politician trounced a political heavyweight live V. M. Sudheeran by a margin of 1,009 votes.
Sudheeran’s ‘namesake’ V. S. Sudheeran polled 8,282 votes which actually ensured the victory of Manoj. It may be recalled that Sudheeran’s lowest margin of victory was 25,949 votes over T. J. Anjalose in 1996. Many still believe that his humiliating defeat was because the UDF failed in carrying out an effective campaign.
The post delimitation geography had kindled hopes in rival fronts with both claiming equal footing in the constituency. With Kuttanad becoming part of Mavelikkara and Kayamkulam and Karunagapally being included in Alappuzha, the constituency has a sizeable coastal population. There are a few agricultural pockets too in the constituency. While Aroor, Cherthala, Haripad, Ambalappuzha, Alappuzha and Karungapally are with the LDF, Haripad is with the Congress.
Prominent leaders from the constituency include Union Ministers A. K. Antony, Vayalar Ravi, Opposition Leader V. S. Achuthanandan, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, former ministers T. M. Thomas Isaac and G. Sudhakaran besides JSS supremo K. R. Gouriamma.
