Thiruvananthapuram: In the Kerala capital, Thiruvananthapuram, flamboyant sitting MP Shashi Tharoor is often called ‘Visiting Congress MP’ and ‘Twitter King.’ Despite hogging the headlines for reasons right or wrong, Tharoor faces a tough battle for the LS seat he is trying to defend.
Pitted against him are three heavyweights – former state unit president of the BJP and former Mizoram governor Kummanam Rajasekharan and C Divakaran of the Left Front, a well-known leader in the constituency with vast experience in trade union sector.
Kummanam is popular in Thiruvananthapuram and he seems to be giving Tharoor a run for his money. In 2009, Tharoor had won by an impressive margin of 99,998 votes. In 2014, the BJP gave him a fright when his margin nose-dived to 15,000. Though Tharoor says his “victory margin will be more and even better than 2009,” ground realities are otherwise. Two factors are up against him.
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The Nair Service Society (NSS) has, this time around, decided to support the BJP. Though the NSS has decided to keep its mysterious ‘equi-distant’ policy towards all fronts, the numerically-strong Nairs of Thiruvananthapuram may go with the BJP. This is because, in a veiled message, the NSS has asked its followers to vote for ‘real protectors of beliefs’; in other words, the BJP.
This is to be viewed against the backdrop of the Sabarimala protest in the neighbouring district of Pathanamthitta where the hillshrine of Lord Ayyappa is located. Bulk of the agitation against CM Pinarayi Vijayan and his government for hurting Hindu sentiments took place in Thiruvananthapuram.
Pinarayi was zealous in implementing the SC order letting women enter the temple while he sat on a verdict on a feud in the church. Thiruvananthapuram is dominated by Hindus with 67% of the population, followed by Christians (19%) and Muslims (14%). Among the Hindus, 39% are Nairs followed by Ezhavas (27%), Nadars (4%) and Viswakarama (6%).
Almost all the subsects of Hindus are strong followers of Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity of Sabarimala. C Divakaran’s entry would mean the Left would protect its vote share. But many in the CPI-M fold revere Lord Ayyappa and the rituals connected with the temple. Such voters may move to the BJP fold.