Kochi, Mar 21 (PTI) With the April 9 Assembly polls approaching, the contest in Kerala’s Thrikkakara seat here has drawn unusual attention, shaped by personal loss, recovery of a contestant and an increasingly competitive three-cornered race.
The seat fell vacant in 2022 after the death of P T Thomas, a widely respected Congress leader, prompting a bypoll that brought his wife, Uma Thomas, into public office with a decisive mandate.
Her tenure was interrupted by a serious fall that left her with grievous injuries, keeping her away from public life for months before her return.
Renominated by the Congress, she is now in the fray alongside Pushpa Das of the CPI(M) and Akhil Marar, the BJP-led NDA’s candidate, making it a three-cornered contest.
Marar’s entry as a representative of NDA ally Twenty20, following his visibility from Bigg Boss Malayalam, has added a different dimension to the campaign.
The constituency itself reflects a mix of rapid urban growth and tradition, anchored by an emerging IT hub and the long-standing cultural importance of the Vamana Moorthy Temple, closely associated with Onam festival.
Since 2008, Thrikkakara has stayed closely with the Congress-led UDF, represented by leaders like Benny Behanan and P T Thomas. This time, the election will show whether the UDF can keep the seat or if voters choose a change.
Turnout in the 2021 Assembly election stood at about 75.6 per cent, reflecting steady participation in Thrikkakara, a seat shaped by rapid urban growth.
“The UDF will definitely come to power. For the past 10 years, people across Kerala have been moving together against this government, which we allege protects wrongdoing and corruption. As our Opposition leader said, ‘100 plus’ seats — I believe it will go beyond that, around 105 plus,” Uma told PTI Videos.
As the seat is considered a strong Congress bastion, multiple aspirants were in the fray. Deepthi Mary Varghese, a prominent woman leader in the party, had emerged as a strong contender. However, the Congress ultimately chose to renominate the sitting MLA, Uma.
CPI(M)-led LDF candidate Pushpa Das is contesting on the party symbol, marking a shift from its earlier strategy of fielding independent candidates in the constituency.
“We are mainly focusing on development, and that is our primary agenda. Our campaign has been organised, with coordinated efforts at all levels. This is the fourth day of campaigning, and we have been actively engaging with people across the constituency. Many have said that there has been little development here over the past five years. So our focus is development,” Das said.
Akhil Marar, who was earlier rumoured to have supported the Congress, is now contesting as an NDA-backed candidate, invoking the “Modi factor” to argue for change.
“The development work carried out by the Narendra Modi government over the past years is widely known. However, Keralites have found it difficult to accept the BJP. That said, acceptance is gradually increasing, especially in Kerala. By fielding strong candidates, the NDA is aiming for its best possible performance this time,” Marar said.
Asked about contesting in a Congress stronghold, he criticised the party, saying, “Congress-ruled constituencies in this country are the ones that have been completely neglected. That itself gives me confidence.” Campaigning in the constituency has largely focused on grassroots outreach, with candidates conducting door-to-door visits, community meetings and interactions with voters across sections. Both UDF and NDA candidates have also been visiting churches and other religious institutions as part of their outreach.
Uma, commenting on the three-cornered contest, said that in any election there would be multiple opponents, whether two, three or more, and that she did not consider any of them weak, but remained confident that the UDF would retain the seat.
Echoing her party’s ideological line, CPI(M)’s Das said, “Elections are not decided by individuals alone, but by the parties they represent and the ideas they put forward.” Thrikkakara is one of Kerala’s prominent urban constituencies in Ernakulam district, characterised by a large middle-class and working population. Key areas such as Kakkanad and Edappally, along with IT hubs like Infopark Kochi, drive its workforce. With expanding infrastructure and metro connectivity in nearby stretches, the constituency reflects the rapid urban growth of the Kochi region.
In the 2022 Thrikkakara Assembly bypoll, around 1.35 lakh votes were polled. Congress candidate Uma Thomas won comfortably, securing 72,770 votes with a vote share of 53.76 per cent. CPI(M)’s Jo Joseph came second with 47,754 votes and 35.28 per cent, while NDA candidate A N Radhakrishnan got 12,957 votes, taking 9.57 per cent.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Thrikkakara segment, which falls under the Ernakulam seat, saw a slightly lower turnout of around 1.32 lakh votes.
Congress MP Hibi Eden led the segment with 73,789 votes and 55.77 per cent. CPI(M)’s K J Shine secured 28,889 votes with 21.8 per cent, while NDA’s K S Radhakrishnan received 22,204 votes, accounting for 16.7 per cent. PTI EZK TGB ADB
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