Campaigning for the April 9 Kerala Assembly elections ended on Tuesday, marked by a sharp exchange between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
Reddy, who campaigned in Kerala for the United Democratic Front (UDF), took a dig at Vijayan by invoking a popular Malayalam film dialogue “Nee po mone Dinesha… nee po mone Vijaya (You go Dinesha… You go Vijaya),” to suggest that the ruling Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) time in power had come to an end. He indicated that the people of Kerala were prepared to vote the government out and expressed confidence that the UDF would assume power, Indian Express reported.
Responding in Kannur, Vijayan remarked that Reddy, as a Chief Minister, was expected to maintain a certain standard of conduct and dignity, and suggested that he should reflect on whether his remarks met those expectations. He added that he would respond in detail later, but said, ‘For now, all I have to say is, ‘dash mone Revanthe.’”
Since the phrase he used is widely considered offensive in Kerala’s public discourse, the comment triggered protests from the Congress. Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan criticised Vijayan, alleging that he had a history of using derogatory language against political opponents, and suggested that the remark could have been even more inappropriate had it been fully expressed.
The CPI(M) has built its campaign around highlighting the LDF government’s decade-long development record, projecting Vijayan as the face of the alliance. The party views a third consecutive victory as crucial for its national relevance, given that Kerala remains the only state currently governed by the Left.
For the Congress, the election is being seen as a decisive battle. Meanwhile, the BJP-led NDA is also aiming to improve its performance, particularly in about a dozen constituencies, and hopes to secure more than one seat. The BJP had won its first-ever Assembly seat in Kerala from Nemom in 2016, though it lost the constituency to the CPI(M) in 2021.
Key candidates in the fray include Vijayan and members of his Cabinet; Congress state president Sunny Joseph; Satheesan; former Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala; BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar; former BJP state presidents K. Surendran, P. K. Krishnadas, V. Muraleedharan, and Kummanam Rajasekharan; as well as Union Minister George Kurian.
All 140 constituencies will go to the polls in a single phase.