Thiruvananthapuram, March 15: With Keralam set for a single phase polls to 140 Assembly segments on April 9, political parties are preparing to take the campaign to the voters with a wide range of issues that have shaped the state’s political discourse in recent years.
The ruling CPI(M)-led LDF is expected to highlight its governance record, while the opposition Congress-led UDF and BJP-led NDA are likely to question the government on several contentious matters.
The politically sensitive issue of women’s entry to the Sabarimala Temple is once again expected to surface in the campaign.
The state government had earlier supported the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all age groups to enter the hill shrine, but it has now diluted its stand on the matter, triggering accusations from the opposition that the move is aimed at balancing religious sentiments ahead of the polls.
Alongside this, the presence of rebels and disgruntled leaders within major parties could complicate electoral calculations in several constituencies, as independent candidates backed by local factions may split traditional vote banks.
Human-animal conflict has emerged as a serious concern in many forest fringe areas of the state, particularly in the high ranges where several people were killed in attacks by wild elephants, wild boars and other animals besides farmers reporting crop destruction.
Farmer organisations have been demanding quicker compensation and stronger preventive measures, turning the issue into a political talking point. (PTI)
