Turnout makes it a cliffhanger
There is near unanimity among the commentariat that the fallout of Sabarimala would benefit the UDF in constituencies where NDA has less clout.
Thiruvananthapuram: The increase in the voting percentage has left the 2109 Lok Sabha elections a real cliffhanger, compelling voters to weigh different probabilities, especially on account of the Sabarimala impact.
It is easy to guess who benefits by the spurt in polling percentage in Wayanad and what awaits confirmation is whether Congress president Rahul Gandhi will retain the constituency instead of Amethi.
But the uptick in polling in the generally low-key Thriuvavana-nthapuram does not lend itself to easy interpretations. The only inference is women have voted with a nascent purpose. In the city, Kazhakuttom, Nemom and Vattiyoorkavu, women coming out in droves should help NDA candidate Kummanam Rajasekharan because he was seen as a formidable opponent to UDF’s Dr Shashi Tharoor.
“This has been countered by the aggressive line-up by women in coastal areas and the overall voter turnout in Neyyattinkara and Parassala”, comments CPM leader C.P. John.
There is near unanimity among the commentariat that the electoral fallout of Sabarimala would benefit the UDF in constituencies where NDA candidates have less clout. But Pathanamthitta, generally a slow coach in terms of voter turnout, has this time shown an almost 8 per cent jump from 66.02 per cent in 2014. The stiff triangular contest leaves it a fence sitter.
The lukewarm turnout in Ponnani is an unlikely pro-P V Anvar (LDF) factor because UDF’s E T Mohammed Basheer is firmly entrenched and benefits by the Rahul factor.
Higher percentages across Malabar also reflect the heightened voter interest in mundane issues in addition to Malabar. That the LDF did not whip up a campaign follow-up on the Renaissance Wall exposed the front’s fears about its electoral backlash. True, the LDF’s cadre base remains intact, by and large, intact, almost as a fixed deposit. But the electoral fortunes depend on how much it has gained additionally. That has to wait till May 23, though in the next few days post-poll analysis will add grist to speculations.