While the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had the lead in Palakkad Municipality, it was a distant third in the three gram panchayats surrounding it, which are part of the Palakkad assembly constituency.

However, it may be some relief to it that the UDF does not lead all the four segments. LDF has the lead in Mathur and Kannadi.

The hitherto poor base in the gram panchayats can be taken as an opportunity.

Sreedharan and his campaign team should not focus just on the municipality-centric development. Developmental activities which are long pending in each of those gram panchayats should be included in the manifesto and campaign.

The aim should be to swing at least 5,000 votes in Pirayiri and 2,500 each in Kannadi and Mathur.

The rest 15,000 votes — assuming an overall target of additional 25,000 votes — will have to be from the municipality area. Indeed, every vote swung from UDF towards NDA, will be equivalent to closing the gap by two.

Role Of The ‘NRPs’ And The National Focus

This is perhaps the first time — across all parties — that a person of Sreedharan's stature is contesting in Kerala in its election history of more than six decades.

News of his joining BJP had already made it big in the national media. There is every reason to believe that the eventual Palakkad contest will be keenly watched at the national level.

In some sense, Kerala's reputation vis-a-vis development friendliness is also at stake.

If a man with so many successful projects, including two key recent ones in Kerala — the Kochi Metro and the before-schedule reconstruction of Palarivattom Bridge — and with absolutely no tint of corruption, cannot win an election in Kerala, that will only cement the belief that the claims of progressiveness in Kerala are hollow — and that many still vote along religious and party lines.

It is here that the role of the ‘non-resident Palakkadian’ (NRP) becomes key.

There are many families, especially in the municipality area of Palakkad where elderly parents live.

Their well-educated children work outside Kerala. Lack of industries and thereby lack of skilled jobs have been Kerala's bane and it is more than evident in places like Palakkad.

It is not just about engineering jobs — even super speciality medical facilities in Palakkad are minimal, with many critical patients having to be taken outside the area for speciality treatment.

If one travels the length and breadth of Palakkad district, you will not miss the many vacant cultivable land holdings — issues with labour cost and strikes discourage land owners from attempting agriculture and related efforts.

Many small scale industries in the district are struggling as well, either due to lack of skilled labour, or due to issues related to them.

For example, many of the equipment used in the metal industries are brought from outside Kerala, and if they run into maintenance issues, they end up waiting for skilled technicians from outside.

There is scope for starting companies that can make these equipment in Kerala or bring in more automation. However, the non-friendly attitude towards industries has made this difficult to achieve.

The NRPs should talk to their parents in Palakkad area on the need to support someone like Sreedharan, who at the age of 88, is trying to do his best to change the scenario.

Impact On Nearby Constituencies And Kerala Politics In General

Non-Resident Palakkadian

Get Swarajya in your inbox.