Articulate & affable, ‘Suni’s’ personal connections could be the tipping point

The wide personal connection with the people of Thrissur parliamentary constituency is the greatest asset of the LDF candidate V S Sunilkumar.
As his campaign vehicle reaches every nook and corner of the constituency, one can hear someone fondly calling him Sunichettan or Suni. He responds to these expressions of affection with equal warmth, either by waving or stepping down from the vehicle and hugging them.At several reception points, the electorate, mainly women, were seen receiving this 57- year old former agriculture minister, by offering him fruits, vegetables and other crops in ‘kuttas’ (woven bamboo baskets). This affable, at the same time firebrand, CPI leader has successfully contested in two assembly segments — Cherpu (now largely Nattika) and Thrissur. He had won from the neighbouring Kaipamangalam assembly seat too. However, this is his debut battle to the Parliament.
At the core of Sunilkumar’s personal contact is the association he built during his student politics days while studying at Sree Kerala Varma College here. Ollur, Cherpu, Nandikkara, Pudukkad, Alagappa Nagar, Varantharappilly and Thrissur are the student catchment area of this 75-year college, and naturally Sunilkumar has an emotional and political connect with the present and past students of this college. He seems to be effectively leveraging these contacts now.
The well-oiled party machinery also chips in to sustain the campaign momentum. His campaign managers are confident that Sunilkumar’s acceptability, transcending barriers, will help him tide over the adverse factors like the anti-incumbency feeling against LDF govt. Responding to questions, Sunilkumar said much of the anti-incumbency factor against LDF govt was related to delays in disbursement of welfare pensions and this has been resolved.
On Karuvannur Cooperative Bank scam’s impact on the polls, he said govt has taken several steps to mitigate the problems of account holders and to punish those responsible for the irregularities. He, however, conceded that there are issues which can’t be justified, as certain wrongs were committed there. “But we must remember this is a Parliament election, and not just for a cooperative society. We have to be debating issues that affect the nation. This election is fundamentally about preserving the secular-democratic framework of the country. BJP govt is aggressively pursuing the agenda to decimate that basic framework. LDF is fighting this election to counter those attempts,” said Sunilkumar.
A major challenge that Sunilkumar faces is the uncertain swing of minority community votes. The LDF campaign to project Congress as an unreliable force in the fight against Sangh Parivar is to woo minorities. But how far the voters will be swayed is a big question, considering that Left is a miniscule force on the national political scene.
Equally disturbing for the CPI candidate is the widespread reports that CPM will ditch him as per an alleged clandestine deal with BJP. CPI circles dismissed these reports as ridiculous. But they conceded that there is a dullness in performance by CPM leaders and cadres in some areas of the constituency