People's Democracy

           CPI(M) CONSTITUENCIES

Madurai, the citadel of the left movement in the south, has played host to two historic Party Congresses in the years 1959 and 1972. It was represented in the Parliament by the legendary communist and trade union stalwart Comrade P Ramamurthy in the year 1967 and by K T K Thangamani (of the undivided CPI) in the year 1957.

Madurai, historically the capital city of the Pandyas, known for its ancient temples is traditionally a centre for handlooms and textile mills. It had also been the base for eminent communists of the pre-Independence era and it continues to nurture the tradition of struggles for the people. The recent example had been Comrade Leelavathi, the corporation councilor of the CPI(M) and forefront worker of the women’s movement who had laid her life for the cause of the downtrodden.

In the 13th Lok Sabha, this constituency had been represented by Ponnusamy Mohan of the CPI(M). He has been renominated by the Party for these elections. He is widely perceived to be very simple, easily accessible and a clean parliamentarian. He had taken up many issues pertaining to his constituency, apart from fighting for the peoples’ issues, upholding secularism, democracy and states’ rights. AIADMK has nominated a lesser-known leader A K Bose as its candidate. The notorious Subramaniam Swamy (Janata Party) is also in the fray from Madurai. However, Mohan is quite ahead of these candidates in terms of winning chances.

Nagercoil constituency is in the southern tip of the Indian peninsula having its borders with the Kerala state. Of the six assembly segments in this constituency, the CPI(M) has independent mass support and electoral strength to win elections in most segments on its own. CPI(M) leader J Hemachandran is a sitting MLA from Thiruvattar assembly constituency. Another CPI(M) MLA D Moni represents Vilavancode assembly constituency. Both these fall in the Nagercoil Lok Sabha constituency. The CPI(M) had unsuccessfully contested from this seat in 1972 and 1979. Traditionally, this constituency had continuously been electing Congress candidates, including stalwarts like K Kamaraj.

In the electoral seat adjustment, the very fact that this time the CPI(M) could get this seat allotted to them generated a lot of enthusiasm amongst its cadre here. The sitting MP and a minister in the Vajpayee government, P Radhakrishan of BJP is pitted against the CPI(M) candidate A V Bellarmin. Joining as a DYFI cadre, Bellarmin rose to become a member of the district committee of the CPI(M) and the area secretary of Kurunthancode Panchayat area. He is the district president of the construction workers union affiliated to the CITU and led numerous movements of the unorganised workers. Right from the day his candidature was announced all sections of the workers and activists of the party started the election work in right earnest. His victory chances appear to be bright.