King or kingmaker? SDPI seeks to hold the cards in Erattupetta

KOTTAYAM: Erattupetta municipality is the youngest of urban civic bodies in Kottayam. As the name implies, the town is located on the banks of two rivers (erattu), Vadakkanar and Thekkenar, which converge to form Meenachil river, the lifeline of the region. Originally formed as a panchayat in 1954, Erattupetta was officially recognised as a local body only in 1962. It was upgraded to a special grade panchayat in 1973 and as a municipality in 1988. However, due to administrative differences, it was downgraded to a panchayat in 1992. Under the last UDF government, efforts were made to re-establish it as a municipality, culminating in its official declaration in 2015. A Muslim-dominated local body, Erattupetta has been a stronghold of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), with the UDF frequently governing the local body. However, the emergence of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), towards the end of the 2000s, marked a significant challenge to the IUML. The SDPI has steadily increased its presence in the council, from one seat in 2010 to four in 2015, and five in 2020. The upcoming local-body polls assume significance for Erattupetta, as the only municipality where SDPI is eyeing power. The party plans to contest 22 of the 29 wards. Even if it doesnt secure a majority, SDPI is expected to play a role in determining who will control the council. We are fully prepared and have finalised 16 candidates. The rest will be announced shortly. We are confident of securing a majority to govern the council, said Sabeer Kuruvanal, SDPIs Erattupetta municipal committee president. Since 2015, the party has been instrumental in influencing power dynamics within the municipality. Though the LDF wrested power in the first election as a municipality in 2015, the UDF overthrew them after two and half years with external backing of the SDPI. During the 2015-20 period, the municipality experienced frequent administrative changes due to a divided mandate. This time round, the UDF leadership is optimistic of securing a clear majority. We expect a strong contest in most wards. However, both the LDF and the SDPI have failed in understanding the pulse of their grassroots-level workers and hence some of their leaders have joined UDF ahead of polls, said P H Naushad, chairman of the UDF municipality committee. The LDF is also optimistic of its prospects, anticipating that the SDPI will capture a significant portion of IUML votes. It is highly unlikely that any alliance will land an absolute majority this time. The LDF will come into power with a simple majority, said T M Rasheed, CPM leader and former chairman of the municipality.