Adoor Prakash’s remark rewrites poll-day narrative in central Travancore

In the cardinal Travancore battlegrounds of Kottayam and Pathanamthitta, the section assemblage elections were expected to physique toward a climax shaped by 3 ascendant narratives, namely the Sabarimala golden theft case, deepening husbandman distress, and the raging rivalry betwixt the large Kerala Congress factions. But by noon connected polling day, that well-set communicative was blown disconnected course. And each it took was 1 offhand remark from United Democratic Front (UDF) convener Adoor Prakash.

After casting his ballot successful Pathanamthitta connected Tuesday morning, Mr. Prakash declared to mediapersons that histrion Dileep had “finally been served justice,” adding that helium was personally blessed astir it. Within minutes, the remark detonated crossed the governmental landscape. The Left Democratic Front seized it with some hands, converting it into caller ammunition to revive an aged onslaught enactment that the Congress harbours an anti-women streak. And it wasted nary clip tying it to the rape allegations against Rahul Mamkootathil MLA.

LDF heavyweights Veena George and V.N. Vasavan led the charge, turning the remark into a poll-day weapon. Ms. George called Mr. Prakash’s words a “clear reflection” of anti-women stance agelong harboured by the Congress, portion Mr. Vasavan accused the UDF of adopting the aforesaid soft-corner attack successful the lawsuit against the Palakkad legislator.

For the Congress, the timing could not person been worse. Leaders were initially stunned, unsure however to incorporate the governmental occurrence spiralling retired of control. Soon they were scrambling to downplay the remark, portion softly seething astatine the strategical blunder. The enactment was counting connected polling time to instrumentality the Sabarimala golden ungraded communicative to its peak. Instead, an off-the-cuff remark hijacked the cautiously planned messaging.

“This remark came astatine the astir inopportune moment,” fumed a elder Congress leader, lamenting however a “golden opportunity” was squandered conscionable erstwhile the UDF needed maximum momentum.

Sensing the danger, seasoned person Ramesh Chennithala attempted harm power from Alappuzha, trying to propulsion nationalist attraction backmost to the Sabarimala golden scam. But insiders admit it was acold from wide whether helium succeeded successful neutralising the blow.