The double blow came even as the formidable electoral juggernaut of the CPI(M) had just started rolling out. The LDF had taken out two political ‘jathas’, one led by CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and the other led by CPI state secretary, Kanam Rajendran to cover the entire state.

The first jolt came in the form of a CBI charge-sheet against CPI(M) Kannur district secretary P. Jayarajan in a case related to the murder of Indian Union Muslim League worker, Ariyil Abdul Shukoor.

The second setback came when two Youth Congress workers were brutally killed in Kasargode district, allegedly by CPI(M) activists. Latest reports have it that a CPI(M) local committee member has been taken into custody in connection with the murder which led to a statewide hartal on Monday.

The twin developments have cast a long shadow over the poll prospects of the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front(LDF), which was otherwise sitting pretty, at least in the Malabar region. It has also created uncertainty about the possibility of Jayarajan contesting in the Lok Sabha polls from either Kannur or Vadakara. Following the filing of the charge-sheet, the CPI(M) finds it difficult to field Jayarajan.

The CPI(M)’s discomfiture is the delight of the opposition parties, which have promptly grabbed the chance with both hands to put the CPI(M) in the dock.

The sympathy wave in the wake of the murder will, undoubtedly make it extremely hard to retain the Kasargode seat, a traditional CPI(M) stronghokld. A strong candidate fielded by the Congress can upset the calculations of the CPI(M). Since the sitting MP, P. Karunakaran, son-in-law of legendary communist leader AK Gopalan, has completed three terms, he is unlikely to be the candidate from Kasergode. Karunakaran is also in poor health. The murder of the YC workers has given the Congress a real chance to wrest the seat from the CPI(M) this time around.

Similarly, the going would be tough for the CPI(M) in Kannur as well. In 2014, PK Sreemathy of rthe CPI(M) managed to defeat Congress strongman. K., Sudhakaran by a narrow maregin of over 6,000 votes. The Congress will, in all probability, field Sudhakaran again. In that case Sreemathy, whose performance in the Lok Sabha is nothing to write home about, will face an uphill task.

As far as Vadakara is concerned, the CPI(M) was all set to wrest the seat from Congress, whose candidate Mullappally Ramachandran romped home with a slender margin of 3,000 votes in 2014. Since Mullappally has become Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president, he won’t be contesting unless the High Command makes an exception in his case.

But the charge-sheet against Jayarajan and the twin murder in Kasargode have completed altered the picture in the constituency. The CPI(M) has been pushed on to the defensive. If Ciongress fields Mullappally or a strong candidate, CPI(M)’a hopes of wresting the seat could be dashed to the ground.

Kiozhikode is another CPI(M) stronghold which the party had lost to Congress in the last two elections. Here also, the party had decided to pull out all the stops to unseat sitting Congress MP, M K Raghavan, who is quite popular in the constituency thanks to his stellar performance both in Parliament and outside. But murder politics has come again to haunt the CPI(M). And Kozhikode is unlikely to let Raghavan down in the changed political scenario obtaining in Kozhikode post-Kasargode murders and Jayarajan’s charge-sheeting in a murder case.

Wayanad, the safest seat for Congress in ther Malabar region, would have also faced a stiffer contest this time. But, the twin setbacks have turned the tide against LDF. Wayanad seat belongs to the CPI whose candidate Satyan Mokeri gave sitting Congress MP, MY Shanavas a real scare in 2014. Shanavas, who is no more, had won with a margin of over one lakh votes in 2009. But in 2014, Satyan went down all guns blazing after reducing Shanavas’s majorirty to a mere 20,000 odd votes. The CPI will most probably field the party’s Malappuram district secretary PP Suneer from Wayanad. (IPA Service)