Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 23 (PTI) In Kerala’s political landscape, senior CPI(M) leader V Sivankutty is seen as a “giant killer” after reclaiming the Nemom constituency in 2021 and wiping out the BJP’s lone presence in the state Assembly.
When he was fielded in the suburban constituency again by the party for the April 9 Assembly polls to check the saffron party’s surge, Sivankutty asserted that the BJP will not be able to regain ground in the segment.
While the BJP fields its state chief and former union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar to wrest the seat back in the upcoming Assembly polls, former MLA K Sabarinathan is contesting as the Congress candidate.
“The BJP’s account, which we closed in Nemom, will remain closed. Their claims to win the seat again are merely hollow rhetoric,” Sivankutty told PTI in an interview on Monday.
While speaking amidst his busy road shows and grassroots-level campaign events, the General Education Minister said that in any election, every contestant has the right to hope for victory.
“If merit is the criterion, the LDF is certain to win in Nemom. The administrative excellence of the state government and the local impact of the MLA’s work are central themes of our campaign. We are moving forward with immense confidence,” he said.
With a consistent and significant share of party votes, Nemom is one of the constituencies where the saffron party pins its hope the most, especially after veteran O Rajagopal won the seat in 2016–marking the BJP’s first-ever Assembly win in Kerala.
But the BJP’s attempt to expand its footprints suffered a setback after Sivankutty wrested the seat back for the CPI (M) in the 2021 polls by a margin of 3,949 votes.
When asked whether the Left party chose him again in Nemom out of the leadership’s conviction that no others could stop the BJP’s possible surge there, he said it was a collective organisational decision.
“When the party evaluated potential candidates based on winnability, I was naturally fielded again. My performance as a minister and the extensive developmental work carried out in the Nemom constituency as an MLA are the primary reasons behind this candidacy,” he said.
Responding to questions on the BJP’s challenge, the senior leader said Chandrasekhar’s candidature would create no impact in Nemom and sought to know about his contributions as a union minister to the state and the segment.
Sivankutty also drew a parallel between his contributions as the State Skill Development Minister and those of Chandrasekhar.
“As the Union Minister of State for Skill Development, what exactly has Rajeev Chandrasekhar contributed to Kerala or Nemom? As the state Minister for Skill Development, I can say that our LDF government has brought a massive ‘upgrade’ to this sector,” he said.
Highlighting the state government’s initiatives, he said, “By introducing a ‘Single Window System’ for vocational training, we have made the process simple and transparent. Our decentralised model takes skill development to the grassroots via local bodies.” He added that the government agency KASE has secured a recruitment licence and signed an MoU with the Goethe-Institut to facilitate global opportunities, while collaborations with Germany’s Hessen state and the Rs 9,000 crore ‘NextGen’ investment aim to boost the startup ecosystem.
Rejecting claims of a three-cornered tough contest in Nemom, he said the Congress remains in third place.
“The Congress is firmly in third place in Nemom. That was the case even when a former KPCC president and former minister like K Muraleedharan contested,” Sivankutty said, adding that Sabarinathan would find himself in a very difficult spot when the votes are counted.
Regardless of the narratives, the LDF will emerge victorious, he added.
On the Sabarimala gold loss row and the presence of rebel CPI(M) candidates in some constituencies in the poll fray, Sivankutty said they would not impact the prospects of the LDF in the upcoming elections.
“The LDF is the most stable and well-supported alliance in Kerala. Various surveys indicate that development and social welfare will dictate the course of this election. The LDF has nothing to fear from these manufactured controversies or fringe elements,” he said.
Listing development works in Nemom, he also said projects worth Rs 900 crore have been completed or are nearing completion over the past five years.
“This record is not just a set of numbers. It is the fulfilment of our promise to make Nemom a model constituency,” Sivankutty added.
The Kerala state Assembly, to which elections are to be held on April 9, has 140 seats. PTI LGK ADB
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