By our political correspondent
Kalpetta: Following an unexpected decline in polling per cent at by-election at the Wayanad Parliamentary Constituency held on Nov 13, a gloom is being prevailed at the UDF camp here .
According to preliminary reports, 64.72 per cent voters cast their ballot in the constituency. Poll percentage in 2024 general election the polling percentage was 72.92.
A decline 8.20 per cent was quite unexpected of the UDF workers. When Rajiv Gandhi was elected for the first time in 2019,from Wayanad, the poll per cent was 80.03 per cent and his majority was 4.3l lakh votes .
The polling percentage recorded in the constituency in between 2009, 2014 and 2024 hovered around 73 to 74 per cent.
Rajiv Gandhi could not maintain his majority of 4.31 lakh votes secured by him in 2019, In the general election in 2024. At the same time, BJP had increased its share of votes from 3.85 per cent in 2009 to 13 per cent in 2024.
UDF camp suspected that Waqf struggle and the attitude of the Catholic Church has affected the poll percentage in the Wayanad by-election where UDF has put up AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as there is a great deal of Christian immigrant voters in the constituency.
The Catholic Church has extended full support to the struggle of fishermen, mostly Christians, at Munambam who are protesting against eviction threat from the Waqf Board.
“A unified stance with the Munambam victims is essential, yet neither the ruling coalition nor the Opposition has clarified their position to the Waqf Board. That is why the Catholic Congress had to step in” a Church functionary said. The Catholic Congress is the official political tributary organization of the church.
Later the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, Mar Raphael Thattil in a statement urged the people of Munambam not to feel obligated to vote for the same parties they have supported for so long, has heightened their concerns.
The Archbishop of Thrissur and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) had strongly criticized both the LDF and UDF for passing a unanimous resolution in the Kerala Assembly objecting to The Mussalman Waqf (Repeal) Bill 2024 and Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 , aiming to repeal the colonial era law and streamline the Waqf Act of 1995.
Before polling , the UDF workers were certain of the congress candidate gaining a majority of six lakh votes in the Wayanad by-election.
The congress and its supporters were excited as Priyanka attracts zealous crowd in corner meetings attended by her in the constituency. “I am sure she will hit a record. Her majority will cross five lakh votes. We are aimimg at six lakh actually”, Usman Parakott , an ardent Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) supporter, reportedly said before Nov 13.
But after the polls , UDF workers here had no such high hope of lakhs majority. The UDF’s concern was that the attitude of the Catholic Church would turn the against the Congress .
BJP is strongly in support of repealing the colonial law and streamlining the Waqf Act of 1995. BJP camp here said that the chances of repeating Thrissur (victory of BJP candidate in the general election) could not be ruled out. They pointed out to the decline of poll percentage and it would be in their candidate’s favour.
