KOCHI: This campaign day was something special for the three candidates in Paravur constituency, because they had the Herculean task of attending 35 weddings from morning and then family meetings. UDF candidate in Paravur constituency V D Satheesan, LDF candidate Sharada Mohan and NDA candidate Hari Vijayan, however took it head on, moving from one wedding to another, meandering through reception hall to dining hall, querying about the welfare of each, and then rushing to the vehicle that was waiting with engine on.
The sweltering heat is telling on them but they don’t want to leave no stone unturned. Satheesan is confidence personified on the strength of the development activities he has done while Sharada Mohan and Hari Vijayan list what Satheesan could not do on the front.
While on NH-17 Satheesan dominates with flexes and posters, in interiors Sharadha Mohan also makes her presence felt, while in campaigning, Har Vijayan makes a surge raising dust and noise with the support of bands and corner meetings.
It’s a healthy campaign that is undertaken by the KPCC vice-president, P K Vasudevan Nair’s daughter and the SNDP Paravur taluk union secretary. Development is the only agenda they debate. Satheesan says that Paravur has one of the best roads in the state. “Work on 12 bridges was started and six were completed. Most number of tourism projects in the state was implemented in the constituency including the famed Muziris project. We have placed Paravur on the global tourism map,” says Satheesan.
Paravur NDA candidate Hari Vijayan busy with campaigning. (Photo: ARUNCHANDRA BOSE)
However, this claim is countered by both Sharada Mohan and Hari Vijayan with the poser why Paravoor doesn’t have a good KSRTC depot, government college or district government hospital or medical college so far. They also asks why NH-17 expansion still remains locked whereas Satheesan answers that it is on its course and Rs 260 crore has now been granted and the work on the 21 km stretch will be completed soon.
Can the voters of Paravur expect a Minister if UDF romps home this time? “That was an excitement last time and I expected it also and there was disappointment too. This time I don’t have any such frills,” says a cool Satheesan.
Whether being PKV’s daughter and a member of the district panchayath come to the aid of Sharada? “Of course, a lot of people recognize me as the daughter of PKV and niece of P Govinda Pillai and show special warmth,” she says.
Satheesan says his dream next is to realize the coastal road via Ezhikkara and Pizhala to Kochi with two big and two small bridges while the rivals blame him for its tardy progress. The Santhosh Madhavan land deal case is perhaps the only contentious issue being raised. Satheesan’s recent spat with Vellappalli Natesan too is a heated topic of discussion.
Satheesan is not worried about any negative fallout while taking on the BDJS candidate. “I have support from all sections, I have personal relations too,” he says. While the voices in the constituency were loaded in favour of Satheesan’s return, a few people predicted a third place for the Left. There are a total of 15,000 SNDP micro-finance members in the constituency while out of the 1.88 lakh voters, 60, 000 votes belong to Ezhava community.
