Debutant faces veterans in Ponnurunni East poll battle

An interesting struggle is going on in the Ponnurunni East division of Kochi Corporation, where the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has not tasted defeat for over four decades.

United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Jain Gray, who is contesting on the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) nomination, won the division as a CPI(M) candidate two decades ago, while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sunitha Dixon had won the neighboring Vyttila division as an RSP candidate in 2020 before switching to the saffron party just before this election.

Ms. Gray says her switch from LDF to UDF cannot be described as a political transition, given that she had not been a member of the CPI(M) for over a decade since its only election victory in 2005 and was subsequently busy raising her child. “But the connections I made all those years ago seem solid, as people keep asking me why I took such a long break from home visits.

“The much-acclaimed decentralized waste management system to convert waste into fertilizer was launched in the department during my tenure as the Brahmapuram plant was yet to be commissioned then but was recently branded as Heal Ponnurunni by the LDF councilor,” he said.

LDF candidate Beena Divakaran is garnering votes. | Photo Credit: RK Nithin

Ms Dixon, a three-time councilor from neighboring Vyttila division, contested her first election as a Congress candidate in 2010, as an Independent in 2015 and then on a UDF-allied RSP ticket in 2020.

He had been at loggerheads with both the RSP and the broader UDF ever since he postponed resigning as chairman of the business standing committee, contrary to an agreement with the Congress to share the role during the last council’s tenure. Ms Dixon refused to resign, claiming no such agreement existed. In response, Congress filed a motion of no confidence against him. Later, both the RSP and the Congress filed an election petition accusing him of violating the party whip. Anticipating disqualification, Ms Dixon eventually resigned in April 2024.

He justified his switch to the BJP but argued that it did not matter much. “In local polls, individuals, not parties, are important. I have not had to explain my party change to anyone. Also, my work in the neighboring Vyttila division is also known to the people of Ponnurunni East. Roads and smelly drains, which are breeding grounds for mosquitoes, need to be improved. Central funds should be used to seal these drains so that people are at least protected from the bad smell invading their homes,” Ms Dixon said.

NDA candidate Sunitha Dixon meets a voter. | Photo Credit: RK Nithin

Despite making her debut in the electoral arena, what gives CPI(M) candidate Beena Divakaran confidence is the historical dominance of the party and the LDF in the division over the years. Actively associated with the women’s forum and the Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham, she expects nothing but victory in what she describes as the positive response she has received during her home visits.

Ms. Divakaran’s priorities include skill development center and women’s gymnasium, playground for youth, recreation area for senior citizens, smart anganwadis, development of roads, waterlogging removal and implementation of city gas project.